I Take All the Blame
by hermionegarner
Summary: Originally called 'A Second Chance'. Hermione is living the perfect life with a man she loves and a daughter to spoil. When tragedy strikes, and keeps coming, where will she find her happy ending, and who will survive to be there with her?
1. Chapter 1

DICLAIMER: No one who speaks in this chapter belongs to me, except for Nick and Alia. About other chapters, I cannot say, but they are the only ones _this time_. J.K. Rowling is the owner of them all, and I am completely jealous.

CHAPTER ONE

Looking back, I don't really know how it happened. One day, I was completely content saving the world with my two best friends, and the next, my world was turned upside down. When Nick and I met over the summer four years ago, I didn't _want _to go back to Hogwarts-I didn't want to be away from _him. _It was no longer enough to just be Hermione Granger, the brain of the 'Golden Trio'. I wanted something more.

Now that things had changed, I didn't think I could be any happier. I smiled, lowering my beautiful baby girl into her blue crib. We had been certain she would be a boy, but I like the color blue better anyway; pink is so overdone.

I sat there for a while, thinking about how perfect my life was. Yes, there was still some fighting going on, even after Voldemort had died, but my family and I were safe. I didn't have anything to do with it anymore.

I heard the creek of the old floorboards as Nick walked up behind me, lovingly placed his hands on my shoulders, and gazed over them at little Eliza Ginerva Rollins. He had wanted to name her after me, but I bluntly refused; Ginny's name was more suitable. Nick smiled, and I knew neither of us had ever been as happy as we were now, completely away from danger, hidden, full of love.

Lizzie was almost a year old, and she learned everything so fast! She started trying to walk at around six months and finally succeeded at nine. She said her first word at about three months and, to my utter disappointment, it was 'Daddy'. I had been tempted to use magic to teach her 'Mommy' first, but that part of my life was completely over. I hadn't touched my wand for three years.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. Occasionally, I would use it to apparate and visit Ginny. I _had _to go two years ago when Harry had _finally _proposed to her, one year after Voldemort was defeated; I was the Maid of Honor! Nick went as well, but since he was a muggle we didn't stay nearly as long as I had hoped.

Nick wanted to know as little about magic as possible, so I gave it up. Voldemort was gone; I didn't really _need _magic to live anymore. We were married about a month after Voldemort died, three days before my nineteenth birthday, and I locked my wand up in a safe that same day. We still lived in hiding, however, since there were plenty of Death Eaters to go around, but we were safe and carefree, living the best times of our lives. When Lizzie came along, everything just got better.

Today, however, was one of the days that I was going to visit Ginny, which always made Nick uneasy. He was convinced that someone was going to attack their house and he would never see me again; I told him I still had a few tricks up my sleeve, but I think that might have scared him even more. He really doesn't understand how wonderful magic is! I wish he did.

He sighed and wrapped his arms around me. "Do you really have to go?"

"Nick!" I replied, laughing, "It's her baby shower! Of _course _I have to go!"

"It's not really a baby shower with only you, Ginny, and Luna there, Hermione."

"It won't be just us; Mrs. Weasley, Penelope, and Fleur…"

"Members of her family don't count," he said, smiling.

I made a face. "Tonks, McGonagall, and Ron's girlfriend Alia will be there too, Nick."

"Neither do members of the Order."

"Then I'll be the only one there!" I said, laughing.

He kissed the top of my head. "Thank _goodness _for that!"

I half-smiled. No, I wasn't a member anymore; I quit when we got married. Still, it hurt to say it; I really did miss spending time with everyone, but they all understood. I decided my family was more important than fighting this battle, and no one held any grudges against me because of it.

I slowly left his arms and moved to our bedroom. The safe was hidden behind our wedding picture; very cliché, but what better place to put it than the most obvious? I heard Nick enter behind me, staying in the doorway as I retrieved my wand. To this day, he _still _cannot bear to see me hold it; he's very religious, and the scripture Exodus 22:18, 'Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live', has been haunting him since he met me. I would find it amusing if I didn't feel like a part of me were missing, and if I didn't know that Eliza was going to be a witch as well.

When the safe door opened, I caught my breath. I felt a strange force of energy within me when I picked up my wand again, but quickly stuffed it into my back pocket. Still, it felt like it _belonged_, and I missed it being there, my constant companion. I could tell Nick noticed my grin, because he frowned, just like always. I smiled sympathetically and went over to hug him. He returned my motion, but not with as much sincerity as usual. I decided to squeeze him as tight as possible until he hugged me properly, and he laughed, quickly stealing away my breath with his burly arms.

"All _right_, Nick!" I managed to say.

He laughed again. "I will _always _love you, Hermione, no matter _what_, whether you're a witch or not. But that doesn't mean I have to _like _it."

I smiled in return. "Agreed."

"I love you, Hermione."

"I love you, too."

We kissed, and, after instructing him on what to do if Eliza woke up, I stepped outside, almost giddy with excitement. I was going to see them again; it had been a year now since I'd seen Harry and Ginny (they'd come over when Lizzie was born), but I hadn't seen anyone else since their wedding. The only person I wasn't seeing tonight that I really wanted to was Ron; he was on a 'special assignment' somewhere out of the country. Besides, _he _wasn't going to be at Ginny's _baby shower_, whether or not he was in the area. Harry would have news of him, though, and that would be enough. It was nice that we were still best friends even though I was no longer part of the 'Dream Team', or whatever you wanted to call us. I didn't want to lose their friendship for anything, and I hadn't.

Once out of the Circle (that was the only other magic I had used-protection charms. Nick didn't have _any _problem with those!) I spun around and apparated. As always happens when I haven't done it in a while, I felt like I would vomit, but quickly regained a hold of myself at the beautiful sight before me.

The small cottage in front of me was the most charming thing I've ever seen! If anyone else could have seen it, they would have described it as being a run-down shack, but since _I _knew the secret keeper (Ron) and had been told of its location, the house was absolutely delightful! Ginny had been hard at work painting the outside walls gold and all of the window-frames red, as well as the doorway. _Any _witch or wizard would know this belonged to the house of the two most dedicated Gryffindor's on earth.

Almost the moment I appeared, Tonks was out the door and I was buried in her embrace.

"Oh, _Hermione! _We thought you weren't going to make it!"

I laughed. "I wouldn't miss it for the world, Tonks! Lizzie was having some trouble falling asleep…"

"Merlin, I still haven't visited you and your family, have I? I really need to!"

"You're welcome anytime!" I said, smiling. "As long as you don't lead any Death Eater's to us."

Tonks laughed, but was soon out of sight as a crowd of the most influential women I had ever known surrounded me. Fleur had her two children, three-year-old Victoire and newborn Jacques, but somehow still managed a hug. Luna nearly knocked me over with her excitement, rambling on about the nargle colony or nest or whatever her and Neville had found in their basement. Mrs. Weasley smiled warmly and chastised me for not visiting sooner, while everyone else stood by, smiling. The only person I didn't recognize was a petite, dark-haired girl I assumed was Alia. She smiled kindly, but I could tell there was something wrong; maybe she just felt awkward around people that were new. In any case, I smiled back warmly, and she turned to go inside.

Being led by the mob of witches in front of me, I entered the Potter's living room. It was just as spirited as the outside, but this time with red walls and gold accents. Ginny was sitting on her couch, _humongously _pregnant, smiling like it was Christmas morning and she had just been told all the Death Eater's were dead.

"How _dare _you be late to my party, Herm?" she teased, grinning widely.

I laughed. "Nick wouldn't let me _leave_, Gin! Can you ever forgive me?"

"Can I _forgive_ you?" she asked, blinking. "He hasn't let me see you for a whole _year_! I'm surprised he let you come today!"

Everyone laughed, except Alia, of course. I got the impression that she was still very new and felt excluded from the group. Seeing a complete stranger greeted the way I just was probably made her feel like even more of an outsider. I certainly hoped not.

I sat on the couch next to Ginny and embraced her. She was my very best friend in the world; no one knew me better than she did. The closest friends I had other than her were all men, and they can _never _understand exactly how a girl is feeling. Ginny smiled and I knew that our friendship would never be in danger of dying.

Harry entered the room and beamed when he saw me. His hug was tighter than anyone else's in the entire room, and I laughed at the expression on his face. I also knew that this friendship was perpetual, that we would always be there for each other. No matter how uncomfortable it made Nick, we would always be the 'Golden Trio'. The only person missing from our reunion was Ron.

After the presents were opened, I sat with Harry and Ginny in the corner to ask about him. Their faces seemed to fall slightly and they looked at each other, worried.

"What's wrong?" I asked, anxious.

"He's…he's just been gone longer than expected," Harry replied.

"Merlin, Harry!" Ginny blurted out. "He's been gone for _three months _longer than expected. Poor Alia's a wreck!"

My heart skipped a beat. "He's missing?"

"Yes," Harry replied. "We lost contact about a month ago. I don't have a clue what's going on…"

"Excuse me," came a voice from behind. I turned to see Alia's blue eyes staring down at me. She smiled, but again it did not reach her eyes.

"Hello!" I exclaimed, smiling in return. "You're Alia, right?"

"Of course," she replied, nodding her head. "And you're Hermione?"

"Yes."

She half-smiled. "Ron's told me so much about you."

"Has he now?" I asked, taken aback.

She nodded. "Oh, yes! Last time I spoke to him, he expressed that if I saw you before he did again, I had to tell you that he misses you tremendously and that you are a slimy old toad for not visiting more often."

I laughed. "Well, you can tell him that it's my _husband _who's being the slimy old toad…once he gets back, that is."

She nodded, her smile fading when I mentioned that he was _not _back yet. I sighed; I _always _seem to say the wrong thing. After another minute or so of discussion, she left to converse with Mrs. Weasley. I heard Ginny sigh and saw Harry's anxiousness written across his face. I wondered if mine said the same thing, but then I knew it must. He was my best friend, and he was missing. Of _course_ I was concerned.

The party ended an hour later, but I stayed for another hour after that to gossip with Ginny. Harry tried to stay awake, but was soon sound asleep on the couch after about five minutes of our 'girl time', as he put it. It just felt so _right _being there, talking about magic, about _everything _with Ginny.

I knew I'd made my choice, but I often wondered if giving up magic was the right thing to do. It was a part of me, after all, and played a huge role in my life. I knew I could live without it, and I had for the past three years, but there was something missing in my perfect life, something missing in _me._

And it wasn't just about magic; I was missing my friends, the people who made me the way I am. If it weren't for Ron's comment that forced me into the girl's bathroom, I would never have been attacked by the troll, Harry and Ron would never have saved me, and we would most likely never have been friends. To think about that possibility was heart-wrenching; I would be an entirely different person were it not for them, and I'm thankful they switched the direction of the track I was riding.

So yes, there were regrets, but none strong enough for me to give up my family. I loved Nick with all my heart, and Lizzie was the most precious treasure I possessed. I wouldn't let them go for _anything_.

As I said goodbye, I felt tears come to my eyes. Who knew when we'd see each other again? I was going to try to come when the baby was born, but there was no guarantee I would be able to make it. I held onto the possibility, though, as I stood in the doorway, hugging two of the most important people in my life.

As Harry held me tightly, he whispered in my ear, "Don't be a stranger, okay?"

I smiled. "I'll try my best."

The two of them waved as I walked out of their circle. At that moment, I was whole…well, if you forget about the part that was missing Ron. But I felt complete. I knew Nick would welcome me joyously when I returned, and I was looking forward to his smile.

I dissapparated, and turned to face our house. In _that _moment, my happiness was shattered. It was twisted and turned into complete _terror_.

The Dark Mark stood above my house.

A/N: Please _**ReViEw ASAP!**_ I LOVE feedback, as I'm sure you all do, and I'm really excited about this story! Let me know what you think, please!

**ALSO:** If you enjoyed this, PLEASE read my fic 'The Past'. It's going to be awesome as well! These are my two babies at the moment, but 'The Past' is a little bit older ;p I would REALLY appreciate it if you would **_R&R_** both of them! Thanks so much!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed and read my other story, 'The Past'. It means so much to me, and I really appreciate your comments and critiques! Sorry this chapter's shorter than the last, but I got a little bit of writer's block; I know where I want the story to go, but at this moment in time I'm not 100 percent sure _how _it's going to get there.

Thanks so much again for reading my stories! You guys are awesome!

DISCLAIMER: Okay, _now _I have to admit that I do actually own someone who talks in here who is not Nick or Alia. Take a guess: Red hair, gorgeous blue eyes, freckles, and a _really _weird middle name-but that's not my fault, its his parents'. Anyway, he's MINE, and I don't care what anyone says! Everyone else is the property of J.K. Rowling, so she should be satisfied enough.

What are you reading this for? Go on, read the story!! ;p

CHAPTER TWO

I stopped dead in my tracks, only to begin sprinting moments later. It _couldn't _be true–there was absolutely no way they had found us. My family was safe, hidden, out of danger! It was all just a very bad dream.

But it was just too real to be a dream. My house was on _fire_-everything we'd worked for was being eaten up in the flames. I didn't even bother opening the front door; what was left of it was blasted into oblivion. I listened for Lizzie's cries, but they weren't there, or at least they were drowned out by the crackling of burning wood and the collapse of the stairs.

I apparated to my room, frantically searching for my family. Immediately, I was out of the bedroom and in the hallway. Lizzie's door was open, but I still heard nothing; not her, not Nick, not even Death Eaters. I ran into the room and tripped over something on the floor. Quickly rising, I stared in unbelief and terror at what–well, _who_–I had tripped over.

Nick was laying there, eyes wide open, an expression of complete horror frozen on his face. He wasn't breathing.

"NO!" I screamed hysterically, trying to shake him awake, bring him back to me. "NO! YOU CAN'T BE DEAD! YOU'RE NOT!"

My tears soon made any form of speaking impossible. I couldn't breathe–my heart had been wrenched out of my body, yet I was still alive, watching the villain devour what was left of me.

Stumbling, I stood and headed over to the crib. My tears increased a hundredfold and my wails became louder as I lifted my baby's slender body out of her crib. I held her tight, wishing it was just a nightmare, hoping to wake up in my perfect reality.

They killed my baby.

I began shaking violently and crumbled onto the floor, next to my husband, clutching my daughter's lifeless body to my chest. I don't know how long I stayed that way, but eventually I realized the floor was about to fall in. Sobbing, I took my fallen husband's hand in mine and dissapparated with him and my baby girl. Once safely out of the house, I returned to my previous position until my voice was gone and I could cry no more. Looking up at my burning house and the horrid sign above it, I realized I had been wrong. I was still a huge part of this war; there was no way to deny that now.

It was my _life_. Everything else was gone.

Slowly, I lowered my daughter and placed her next to her father. The look of horror on Nick's face sent my body into convulsions. He had been right; magic _was _evil. I stared at my wand, completely repulsed by the power it held. How could something be good if it caused work like _this_ to be done all over the world? How could _I _belong to a group of people with the power and ability to take someone's life by simply uttering two forbidden words?

But I didn't really belong to that group of people. Sure, I had the ability to kill, but the difference was my _choice._ Magic_ itself_ wasn't evil, only the way it was used. _I _didn't belong to _that _group of people; I belonged to the _Order_, and I always would.

I looked at my wand again with a change of heart. If I hadn't been so distraught with pain and grief for my family, I might have smiled.

"Welcome back, old friend," I whispered.

I would avenge my family. I would fight and prevail.

_I would win_.

I decided to bury them in the same grave; Nick would have wanted that. He absolutely _adored _Lizzie and doted upon her constantly; I think she was the one person he ever loved more than me. He was an amazing father, and would have become an even better one as she grew older. There wouldn't be a headstone, but I'd mark the spot so I could bury them properly once this war was over.

But I couldn't do it. I dug the hole, but when I started lowering Nick into it, I broke down. There was no way I could bury my family members, not alone. I began crying again, even though I hadn't thought I had any tears left.

After what seemed to be an eternity, I heard footprints. Instantly, I shot up and whirled around, wand raised against my potential attacker. However, when I saw who it really was, I dropped my wand out of surprise.

"Hermione, what the…Merlin, I'm gonna kill them!" he exclaimed in disbelief and anger.

"_Ron!_" I screamed, running up to him and throwing my arms around his neck. He was _safe_! My best friend was alive!

Realizing this, I began to cry again; he was, but my family wasn't. It seemed impossible that I could have both with me at the same time. When my sobbing persisted, Ron responded by instinctively pulling me into a closer hug. I let him hold me tightly for a long time, trying to console me as I sobbed; it wasn't nearly enough comfort, but it was almost enough to have him there, to know that I wasn't completely alone.

After a while–I don't know how long–I fell into a restless sleep, full of haunting dreams. Everywhere I looked, Nick was there, but I could never touch him. Suddenly, Lizzie appeared in front of me and reached upwards for me to hold her. I tried and tried, but no matter what, she was too far away. She began to cry and scream, trying to get to me. I cried as well, watching her disappear into the black abyss around me. I turned toward Nick, running, trying to grab hold of him, but he only shook his head sadly.

"_I will always love you, Hermione…_"

I cried and cried, until I realized I wasn't dreaming anymore. Someone was brushing my hair with their fingers, their hand shaking. I looked up and saw Ron, thoughtful, yet almost catatonic in appearance. When he saw that I was awake, he forced a smile and helped me sit up.

"Thank you," I whispered softly.

He shook his head in response. We sat there quietly for a minute before anyone spoke again.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry…" he began.

"Can you help me bury them, Ron?" I asked.

He nodded solemnly, and we set to work. It wasn't an appropriate funeral service, but it served its purpose. When the last bit of dirt was in place, everything became cloudy once again with my tears. Ron held onto me, and I knew it was time to go. It was time for me to return to the Order, what I was meant to do.

It was time for me to go home.

Harry and Ginny were shocked to find me back at their house, but ecstatic to see Ron again; after the situation was explained, however, any happiness felt in the home was gone. I was just glad to have another home to go to, one with people who cared about me just as much as my family had. It could never replace them, but it was enough to keep my emotions in check.

The next few days were a blur. We had people come from all over, those I knew and those I didn't know, to express their condolences. Alia was the first, and even though it was more to see Ron than to comfort me, I wasn't hurt; I understood exactly how she felt. Had I known Nick and Lizzie would be in danger that night, I would _never _have gone to Ginny's baby shower. I would never have left them unprotected.

But, of course, they _hadn't _been; that was what bothered me. To get through all of the charms I had on that house would not have been an easy task and would have taken a significant effort. It couldn't have been only one person, and it couldn't have been a random attack; we were targeted. I assumed it was because of me, which only worsened my guilt at not having been there to protect my family.

My suspicions were confirmed the third evening after the attack. Ron and Alia were over for dinner, which they had been every night, and I realized that we still had no idea where Ron had been; with the present tragedy, it seemed altogether unimportant. I wasn't the only one who realized this, because Ginny suddenly stopped eating and looked up at Ron.

"Where were you, by the way?" she asked, a note of annoyance in her voice. "You still haven't told us."

"Well, I didn't think it was important…" he started, glancing in my direction. My heart soared in gratitude for his concern and love for me. Although he rarely showed it, he was the most selfless person I knew (aside from Harry-he's just ridiculous!) and anyone else's problems were more important and deserved more attention than his. I smiled back at him, trying to show my thanks for all he'd done for me the past few days. Still, I wanted desperately to know what he had uncovered and where he had been.

"Ron, of _course _it's important," Ginny said, now obviously irritated. "Merlin, your impossible!"

"What she _means_, Ron," Harry took over, laughing at his wife's increased impatience, "is that there's definitely a reason we lost contact with you, and we'd like to know what that reason is."

Ron forced a smile, and began playing with his food. "It's nothing, really, I just couldn't risk sending you anything. I found a Death Eater hide-out and decided to follow them around. I didn't hear hardly any of their conversations, though, so it was a bit useless. Although…"

He suddenly perked up, looking very thoughtful. "They did say something about 'breaking up the team', though. I wasn't sure what that meant at first, but when I realized it was _Hermione's _house they were attacking…"

He trailed off, and all eyes turned to me. I caught my breath, realizing that my fears had just become a reality.

"So, they were after me?" I said, almost in a whisper. "They were trying to kill _me_, and they killed my _family_ instead because I wasn't there? Because I was part of the team?"

Silence. Under the table, Ron squeezed my hand encouragingly. I knew he was trying to let me know that it wasn't my fault, that there was no way I could have known, but it didn't help. I felt the tears coming again, and excused myself from the table. When I finally returned downstairs about an hour later, Harry and Ron were the only ones there.

"Where did Alia and Gin go?" I asked, looking around.

Harry sighed. "We didn't want to risk…well, we don't want them to be in any danger."

I nodded. "So it's just the three of us again, then?"

Ron smirked, the famous smirk that I had missed so much these past two years. "It'll be just like old times! Aren't you excited?"

I couldn't help but smile. No matter what the circumstances, they were there for me, and I would be there for them. Nothing could break our friendship, not Voldemort, not his followers. We would _not _give in. We would persevere.

And in the end, _we would win_.

A/N: How exciting! The Golden Trio has been reunited! Okay, so funny story; I was writing this chapter in my notebook at school and had written up to where it says 'They killed my baby.' That was the _only _sentence on the last page, and I was holding up my notebook to re-read the first page and edit some of it. My friend was looking at my notebook, and I lifted it up just enough for her to see that sentence written down. She knows _nothing _about my fanfics, so she stared at me as if I was an alien and said, "What's _that _for?" I just laughed. I cried while writing that part, actually. My brother thinks I'm crazy!

Anyways, review, review, **_ReViEw!!_**


	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: Okay, so the only people mentioned in this chapter that I do _not _own are Harry, Hermione, Dumbledore, the Death Eaters, and Ginny. I DO own Nick, Alia, Lizzie, the Rollins family, and last but not least, RON!!

CHAPTER THREE

Four days isn't very long, but it had been four days, and it felt like an eternity.

I went to my house that morning, trying to salvage anything I could from the wreckage. There was hardly anything left of the _house_ at all, but fragments of my past were strewn all over the clearing as I gazed at my lost dreams. I had come alone; _I _was the one who had to do this, no one else.

I began slowly walking into the rubble. There was Lizzie's favorite doll, almost unrecognizable from the flames; there was the family picture we took after Lizzie was born, miraculously intact. I picked it up and smoothed out the flame-bitten corners, longing for the happiness I had felt then. As tears reached my eyes, I folded the picture up and put it in my back pocket.

The next thing I saw was a fragment of lace. I raised it off of the ground, realizing it had been part of my wedding dress. I held onto it tightly as I looked around me, tears clouding my vision of the horrible scene. Nothing else was identifiable, except for the frame of our wedding picture. The picture itself, however, was gone.

I kneeled in the middle of what used to be my home, pleading with God through my sobs that I might have my family back again, that we could return to as it was, the happiness we had shared. I was willing to give up my magic, and Nick was willing to give up his _family_; that kind of willingness to sacrifice doesn't come around everyday.

As these thoughts ran through my mind, again I started thinking of how we met for the first time. I had been shopping for extra supplies, like _food_ for example, for Grimmauld Place; everyone was so busy they hardly had time to cook, let alone _buy _the food. Harry hadn't arrived at headquarters yet, and it seemed as if everyone was waiting for him and Dumbledore to be there before any action was taken. Still, they were constantly reading, searching for any information that might be helpful in overthrowing the Dark Lord.

Nick had been working at the Grocery that day. I was having a hard time finding the items on my list, and consequently looked very flustered. That was when I suddenly heard footsteps and a voice behind me.

"Can I help you, Miss?"

I startled, toppled over my cart, and hit _plenty _of the cans of soup around me onto the floor. As I bashfully began picking up the mess I had made, Nick laughed and knelt down to help me. He was so _kind_, something I wasn't entirely used to back then; everyone was on edge, and therefore Grimmauld Place was more like a prison full of irritable children than a home. We got to talking and he asked if he could see me the next day. Against my better judgment, I said yes.

I don't know what initially made me want to see him, aside from his kindness, charm, and good looks. The more time we spent together, the more I wanted to stay with him, stay away from Hogwarts. I wouldn't _dream _of leaving Harry and Ron alone, yet I knew that if I left, I would probably never see him again. It hurt, but I was ready to leave in September; I knew the duty I had signed up for and intended to fulfill it.

The day before I had to leave for my sixth year at Hogwarts I spent mostly with Nick. Ron had been extremely unhappy about this decision; he, for some reason, _hated _every guy I've ever dated, and it didn't help that Nick was a muggle. But I did it anyway, not wanting to leave his sight, not wanting to give him up.

As he held me close, I decided to tell him about magic. I didn't think he would mind it; he was an _extremely_ easy-going person. We were on his front porch and his mother was cooking some sort of seasoned chicken in the kitchen, filling the air with wonderful aromas. I leaned in closer to him and delicately asked the question:

"Do you believe in magic, Nick?"

He tensed his arms and when I looked up, he looked very uncomfortable. "Yes."

"What's with the face?" I asked, frowning.

"It's evil," he replied, shaking his head. "Magic is evil."

I stared at him, shock written across my face. "Why do you think so?"

"Because," he replied, sighing, "the Bible says so. Exodus 22:18–_Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live_."

I sighed. There was _no way _I was going to tell him now–if we hadn't been attacked by Dementors that very second. Of course, Nick couldn't see them, so it took some time convincing him that I was _not _what attacked him, but he believed me in the end; he knew me better than that.

His family, however, completely shunned me. I will never forget his mom's face as she shook, standing in front of Nick to protect him–protect him from _me_.

"If you _ever _come near my family again, in the name of all things Holy I swear…!"

"Mum!" Nick exclaimed, trying to calm her down. "She saved my _life_! Magic may be evil, but _she's not_…"

"HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?!" she had screamed hysterically before rounding on me. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY SON? WHAT CHARM HAVE YOU PLACED ON HIM?"

"Mrs. Rollins, I haven't done _anything_…"

"YOU'RE A WITCH!!" she screamed, furious beyond even _Mrs. Weasley's_ capacity. "MY SON IS A GOOD CHRISTIAN! HE WOULD _NEVER _SIDE WITH A WITCH!"

"MUM, SHUT UP!" Nick had yelled, so loud that she _almost _did. "I don't like it either, but Hermione is a witch, and she just _saved _my life! She hasn't put a charm on me…"

"GET OUT OF HERE!" she shrieked at me, now hoarse. She picked up the broom on the front porch and started waving it in my direction, making me back up off of the steps. "LEAVE MY SON ALONE!"

Crying, I had apparated. Directly after, I received a warning from the Ministry of Magic, but I burned it. They had no authority; _they _were evil.

I didn't tell anyone about it, not even Ginny. I was distraught enough that I had lost Nick, and I didn't want to have to relive the experience in telling the tale.

That year at school was the first that I had _really _seen first-hand the evil Mrs. Rollins was talking about. Death Eaters _swarmed _the halls of Hogwarts, green lights lighting up every hallway, and our headmaster and hope, Albus Dumbledore, was murdered. I remember shaking at his funeral, Ron's arms around me while he tried to comfort me, much like four days ago. I had wished they were _Nick's _arms, that_ he_ was there with me, to hold me.

That next summer, I was gathering supplies for Harry, Ron, and I to disappear. Eager that Nick might _still _be there, I headed to the same Grocery, almost certain my hope was in vain. I was in the same isle as before, wondering if I should, in fact, buy some soup, when I heard not only footsteps, but _running _footsteps behind me. I whirled around and saw Nick grinning from ear to ear. He slowly reached up his hand and brushed a curl behind my ear tenderly.

"_Can I help you, Miss?_"

I had cried and buried myself in his embrace. He still loved me, despite his mother's hatred. That was when he kissed me for the first time, begging me to stay with him. I knew that I couldn't, but I told him that I would write him, and as soon as the war was over, I was all his.

So when it ended, I went to the same Grocery, the same isle, and waited for him to come. When he did, he was happier than I think I'd ever seen him. He fumbled in his back pocket before extracting a small ring box; you can guess what happened from there.

In an effort to please his parents, I decided I would give up magic; it made him more comfortable with his decision as well, that he wasn't _really _marrying a witch. When we arrived at his house to break the ice, however, Mrs. Rollins actually _did _try to kill me. The only reason she didn't was that Nick was in the way. I didn't know what to do; I loved Nick with all my heart and soul, but there was no way on this earth we could be together…until Nick scowled at his mother and turned around to face me.

"Apparate," he commanded.

"Nick," I whispered, "what are you _thinking_?"

"_I love you, Hermione!_" he shouted, almost shaking me. "My _mother _is _not _going to stop me from marrying you!"

At this point, Mrs. Rollins was crying, convinced that I had bewitched Nick. His father stepped out of the door angrily and tried to grab me as I apparated.

Ever since that day, I'd felt the tiniest bit guilty. I knew it was Nick's decision to make, but the pain I had caused his family was too much for me to live with _without _feeling guilt. He assured me everything was fine, and everything was, until four days ago.

I realized then, as I looked around at the fragments of my family, that they needed to know. I needed to tell them.

But _that _was a visit I was going to put off as long as possible.

* * *

"_I will always love you, Hermione…"_

Just like every other night over the past week, I woke up crying. And, just like every other night over the past week, Ron was immediately at my side, trying his best to console me. When I calmed down, we would talk, about anything and everything, not fighting at all. _That _was the strange thing; we usually couldn't go two days without a disagreement of some sort. However, Ron was a much more feeling person than I used to give him credit for, and he wouldn't dream of hurting me any more than I already was.

Tonight, I was especially thankful for his warmth, since we were outside at night in early September. We had taken up a sort of nomadic state, much like when we were searching for Voldemort's horcruxes. This time, however, we were looking for the actual location of the enemy; we were walking straight into the lion's den of our own free will. The only problem was that we didn't know _who _the lion was. Without that knowledge, we didn't know exactly what to expect, let alone where to find the Death Eaters in the first place.

That wasn't something I wanted to dwell on at the moment. All I wanted was to know that the people around me loved and cared about me, and it would be enough to keep me content...

Almost.

"You okay?" Ron asked, after we had been silent for a time. I met his eyes and read the deep concern he had for me. I smiled.

"I'm fine," I replied. "What about you?"

I knew he must be worried about Alia, but he'd never admit it. His problems were completely irrelevant when it came to his friends.

Ron shrugged the question off. "Better than Harry," he sighed. "He's beating himself up about this."

"Because there are still Death Eaters out there?"

"Yeah."

I shook my head. "Ron, there will always be people just like the Death Eaters. They're not the first to try to take over the world, and they won't be the last."

"I know," he replied with a slight smirk. "But you know Harry; he thinks he can rid the world of evil."

I smiled. "If anyone can, it will be him."

Ron laughed in agreement. I glanced at Harry, sound asleep at the other end of the clearing. It was his watch, but seeing as how Ron and I seemed to be up half the night anyway, we didn't think to wake him. He needed all the rest he could get.

There was silence once more, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. I felt more safe and content sitting next to my best friend in a small protection circle than I ever had while hiding behind countless charms and concealments the past two years of my life.

Ron shifted nervously, and I glimpsed a frown on the edge of his lips. I turned to look at him, forcing him to talk to me. It had been his turn to console a week ago, but now it was mine.

"You're worried about Alia," I stated.

To my complete surprise, he shook his head. "She can take care of herself. She's a strong girl…"

He trailed off. I knew this wasn't the whole truth, so I pushed for more.

"What's bothering you?"

He laughed, turning to look me in the eyes. "Okay, so it is Alia," he confessed, "but not the way you think."

"Oh?" I asked, not believing a word.

He smirked, but then his smile faded away. "I was wondering if it was right to break up with her."

"What?" I exclaimed in shock. "Why'd you go and do something like that, Ron?! Do you _realize _how worried she was about you…?"

"Yeah," he said, shaking his head. "But I can't _lie_ to her, Hermione. She…wants to get married, and I just _don't_, not to her, anyway."

I stared at him in disbelief. "But the two of you seemed so _happy_…"

"We weren't right for each other," Ron said, becoming defensive. "She wanted to leave the Order, completely disappear. There's nothing particularly _wrong_ with that," he added, trying to assure that my feelings would not be hurt, "but it's not what I want."

"No," I said in understanding, "you're right."

He blinked. "About what?"

"I never should have left the Order," I said. "I…I loved Nick with all my heart, but there was always something missing…"

Remembering Nick, my eyes teared up again. Ron pulled me closer to him and started to apologize, but I wouldn't let him.

"It was a stupid decision," I stated, wiping my eyes. "I always knew there was something wrong…"

"But you loved him, Hermione," Ron argued, forcing me to look him in the eyes. "You _loved _him, and he loved you, and you were _happy_. You gave up part of yourself for love. That's what makes you such a better person than me," he shook his head, "The only reason I won't marry Alia is because I'm selfish and want to stay with my friends fighting this war. You decided to give up everything you were used to and wanted for Nick, Hermione; that's not a stupid decision, that's love."

I stared at him, knowing that he was both right and wrong. I was right to love Nick, to want to be with him no matter what, but I was entirely wrong to turn my back on my friends. They had been fighting and struggling while I was hiding in a hole; I was hardly worthy to call them my friends.

Ron knew what I was thinking, but he decided that it was better to let me think it than argue. He hugged me tightly before going to wake Harry so the two of us could try to get some sleep. I couldn't, however, and lay awake until the sun rose, wondering why I had to have been blessed with so many wonderful people in my life that I wasn't allowed to enjoy the company of all of them at once, why I couldn't have Nick and the Order with me every day.

I had to choose the one I wanted most.

A/N: Aw, how sad! How'd you like my description of Nick and how they met? Seriously, any comments, critiques, ideas, suggestions, etc. are MORE than welcome in your **_ReViEwS!!_**


	4. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: I think you get it already. I own Ron, the Rollins, and Alia. If anyone tries to dispute that, they will face my wrath!

A/N: In this chapter, I mention the Deluminator that Ron sort of inherited from Dumbledore in the Deathly Hallows. I did not explain it in context, so if you don't remember anything about it or don't see how it would help in the situation mentioned, please send me a note or include it in your _**ReViEw**_, which I KNOW you're all going to post ;p

CHAPTER FOUR

Eight days.

I lay on the grass, alone in my thoughts. Harry and Ron were already up, beginning to pack our supplies. Instead of helping them, I stared into the still darkened sky and envisioned my family beside me. I knew they would want me to be happy even though they were gone, but it was too soon. I was miserable.

And I had every right to be. They weren't the first family members Death Eaters had killed. During the war with Voldemort, I sent my parents to live in Australia so they would be safer, wiping their memories of me and everyone else in England. I didn't know that by doing that I would make them vulnerable…

I _really _didn't want to think about that right now.

I blamed both sets of casualties on myself. Neither time was I there to protect my muggle family. Neither time had I expected danger with all of the protections I had already put in place.

Both times, I had too much faith in magic.

I felt tears coming and decided it would be better to work than reflect on the costly mistakes of my life. They hadn't cost me _my _life, but they had cost four others theirs…

I stood up, wiping my eyes. Ron saw my distress and began walking towards me to comfort me. Right before he reached me, however, we both went rigid.

_There were voices in the forest_.

Harry heard them as well. All of us were on the alert, hardly daring to move a muscle lest our charms be broken. Rustling in the trees close by caused all three of us to turn, our wands pointed outwards.

I almost smiled at the slight sense of déjà vu. It was just like old times.

"Hello! Come on, you _have _to be here somewhere!" came a familiar, agitated voice.

Another voice, also familiar, chimed in. "They probably left already! Keep your voice down!"

At that moment, _Ginny _appeared out of the trees, followed by _Alia_, both looking very tired. I saw Harry and Ron groan. They just _had _to pick the kind of girls who would follow us everywhere we went.

"Harry, I _know _you're here!" Ginny yelled. "_Please _let us come with you! We've been searching all night!"

Harry shook his head and stepped out of the circle, breaking the charm for the two girls.

"_No._"

"Why in Merlin's name not!" Ginny retorted.

"Gin!" Ron exclaimed in surprise. "You're nine months pregnant! You're due any day now and you think it would be a _good _idea to go battling Death Eaters?"

She glared at him. "I don't see what's wrong with it! If I feel the baby coming, I'll apparate to the closest hospital!"

I almost laughed. "Ginny, I've been there. You wouldn't be _able _to apparate, let alone _walk_ by yourself! You _have _to go back!"

Harry seemed relieved that _he _wasn't the one who had to have this conversation with his wife. He smiled at the two of us thankfully and sat down to rub his temples. I knew he really wanted to stay with her, but he felt it was his duty to get rid of the Death Eaters.

Ginny sighed. "I know you're right," she finally grumbled. Then she turned to Harry, taking his hands in hers.

"I just _hate _to be away from you, you know that."

Harry smiled back at her. "I feel the same, Gin."

Ron and I glanced at each other. We doubted he'd actually be okay with it, but we knew we had to _try _our idea.

I sat down next to Harry, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Harry, you should stay with your wife."

He blinked at me, confused. Ron continued the thought for me: "At least until the baby's born, mate. We can take care of ourselves."

Harry, realizing our suggestion, shook his head in defiance. "I wouldn't be able to find you again…"

"Here," Ron said, tossing over a small object. It was his Deluminator. "It shouldn't be too hard."

Again, Harry shook his head. "But the two of you would be alone…"

"No they _wouldn't_," came Alia's voice, obviously annoyed; we had all forgotten she was present. "I would be with them."

"_No_," Ron insisted, turning to face her. Her scowl softened when she looked at him, and she turned her face to the ground.

"Why not?" she asked incredulously, then suddenly wrapped her arms around him, holding him as tightly as she could.

"If you want to stay in this war, _so will I_."

Ron stared at me, looking for help, not knowing what to say. I couldn't be the one to force Alia away, though. She was scared for his death, and wanted to be there to protect him, just like I wished I'd been there for Nick…

Harry looked thoughtfully at the Deluminator. Ginny had been silent during the entire conversation; something told me she had decided that voicing her opinion when she was so tense would hurt more than it would help.

After a few minutes, Harry squeezed her hand, looking her in the eye, and said, "Do you _want _me to come home?"

Ginny rolled her eyes and let out an agitated sigh. "Of _course _I do!"

"You don't have to worry about us, Harry," I said standing.

"But this is _my _battle…"

"No it's _not_!" I exclaimed in absolute fury at the blame he placed on himself. "You already _fought_ your battle with_ Voldemort_! You deserve more of a rest than all of us combined, yet here you are _blaming_ everything on yourself! _This is_ _not your battle anymore!_"

Everyone seemed to be staring at me because of my sudden outburst. I ran my fingers through my hair, breathing heavily.

"If this is anyone's battle, it's _mine._"

No one dared to argue, especially since they all knew it was true. Harry and Ginny left after some parting words and Ron, Alia, and I were left alone. Ron still didn't seem happy that she was there; I didn't know whether he was concerned about her safety or feeling awkward because he didn't love her anymore.

Then again, he probably did. The whole reason he'd broke it off was because she didn't want to fight anymore. Now that she was willing to fight, willing to make that sacrifice for him, he was probably full of love, just happy to have her back in his arms, and she happy to be in his. I knew that if he were Nick, I would be happy to be there, no matter the sacrifice.

Love is all about sacrifices.

The next two days were a blur. Packing up, moving to possible locations, searching the area, placing our protection charms, going to bed. It was almost mechanical. Ron and I didn't have our usual night-time talks anymore; with Alia around, we knew it wouldn't be appropriate. He still did his best to comfort me, cracking the most absurd jokes ever known to man in order to force a smile on my face. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't, but his concern was enough to keep me in routine without breaking down.

In those two days, it became absolutely certain that Alia did _not _enjoy my company. She was kind enough, but as soon as Ron and I would start any sort of conversation, she would draw his attention away and keep at it all night. I could tell Ron was happy to have her there, but I could also tell that he felt there was something wrong. I wanted to ask him about it, but there wasn't a single moment that she wasn't clinging to him, diverting his attention from anything and everything else.

I could tell that for some _absurd _reason she felt she had to protect him from me, to keep me from stealing him away from her. I was absolutely appalled by her thinking; truth be told, even _if _I found Ron the _least _bit attractive, I would not be looking for a relationship. If she thought I was the type who would get over the murder of my husband and child in little more than a week, she was drastically mistaken. If she even thought it was_ possible_ for _anyone _to ever be completely at peace after something like that, I had to conclude that she was not a human being.

The situation was reminding me of Lavender Brown. Like Alia, she had assumed that I was eyeing Ron as well. In fact, _most _of Ron's girlfriends had had suspicions concerning me. Harry's first girlfriend, Cho Chang, had been paranoid about his friendship with me as well, and had broken up with Harry because she imagined some sort of relationship between him and me. Apparently, a girl cannot be best friends with two guys without being suspected of another desire altogether.

It really did make things awkward. I could tell Ron wanted to talk, but it was absolutely impossible, and Alia wouldn't have it any other way.

Trying to escape the discomfort of the situation, I decided the time had come to speak to Mr. and Mrs. Rollins on the third day (not that _that _was a more comfortable situation). That didn't mean I was ready for it, but when would I be? I already knew they would claim I was Nick's killer, and consequently they would try to have me arrested. But they deserved to know the truth, whether they believed it or not.

I was standing on the porch before I decided exactly what I was going to say to them. I still wasn't entirely sure how to break the news, but it was too late to turn back now. I reached for the brass doorknocker, but before I could lift it, I heard voices inside, heading towards the front of the house. Someone had evidently seen me and warned the rest of the family. I sighed and stood to wait.

Almost immediately, Mrs. Rollins opened the door, her eyes searching beyond me, tears forming on her sad stressed face. I had a feeling she had been stressed every day for the past three years. I wondered if the same sadness was on my face; having lost a child, I knew how she felt, the hurt, the longing to change the past…

"Where is he?" she asked, searching me pleadingly. "Is Nick coming home?"

I sighed once more. I _really_ didn't want to do be the one to do this, but I had to.

"Mrs. Rollins, can we sit?" I asked painfully.

She stared at me and nodded once. Quickly beckoning me inside, I saw there was already a congregation in the living room, not only consisting Nick's younger sister and brother, but also a fair few aunts, uncles, and cousins. It was Sunday, and they always gathered for family meals on the Sabbath. Mr. Rollins entered from the study and stood in the doorway, his arms crossed.

I hadn't expected to speak to such a large crowd. In fact, I _couldn't_. It would absolutely impossible to speak to all these people I didn't know, to tell them of the tragedy we all had to face.

To my relief, Mrs. Rollins ushered me into the study, past the weary guests and stern Mr. Rollins. He followed us in and shut the door.

"Please," she said, taking my hands in hers, "let him come home…"

Mr. Rollins put a comforting arm around his wife as she again began to cry. Nick had been the spitting image of his father, golden brown hair, perfectly built body, bright blue eyes…I had always loved those eyes, staring into them for hours on end…

But this time, I couldn't. I looked to the floor in shame and sadness.

"Please sit down, Mr. and Mrs. Rollins…" I started.

"You did get married, didn't you?" Mr. Rollins asked suddenly.

I blinked. "Yes, Mr. Rollins, we did, but…"

"Then call me Dad."

I stared at him. Mrs. Rollins' cries grew louder with this statement, but she was able to contain herself and finally sat down.

I shook my head. "I don't understand, Mr. Rollins…"

"_Dad_," he insisted, smiling. "As much as we hate witches this house, we all approved of you beforehand. Who am I to judge something I don't understand? And who am I to choose my son's wife for him?"

I smiled back in gratitude, but the smile soon faded. This was _not _a pleasant visit.

"Please, Hermione," Mrs. Rollins began, wiping her eyes. "Just tell us where he is! I just want to see my baby again…"

I felt like crying with her. I wanted to see my baby again, too.

I sat next to her, taking her hands in mine. "He never stopped talking about you, you know that? He always loved you, he always wished he could come back…"

"Why are you talking about him in the past tense?" asked Mr. Rollins, confused.

I sighed, and continued with my planned story. "We had a baby…"

"You did!" she exclaimed, a slight smile on her face. "I'm…I'm a Grandmother?"

I forced a smile. "Yes. Her name was Eliza Ginerva Rollins…"

"Was?" she asked, her smile disappearing.

Tears spilled out of both of our eyes. She knew what was coming, and she knew I didn't want to tell her.

But I had to.

"Do you remember what I told you about Death Eaters?" I asked.

"No," Mr. Rollins breathed, leaning against the sofa for support. "You…you said you'd give up magic when you married, you said you'd give up this war nonsense…"

"I _did_!" I exclaimed, sobbing more than ever. "I _did_, Mr. Rollins!"

To my surprise, Mrs. Rollins was now incredibly calm. "But they found you anyway?"

I stared at her. The sadness in her eyes was unbearable; it was like looking in a mirror.

"Yes," I whispered. I could no longer look at her or her husband. "They did…but I wasn't there, there was no one to protect them…"

I couldn't bear the reality of it. I hadn't had to tell anyone what happened yet; Ron had done it all for me in the beginning. Voicing it out loud, admitting their deaths, finalizing it, was agonizing. I buried my face in my hands, unable to say any more, unable to recount the horror I had faced in my home…

Mrs. Rollins placed an arm gently on my back, shushing me until my sobs were only whimpers. I could almost feel her tears, like knives in my back. I had ultimately been the cause of her son's death, yet she was comforting me, trying to calm me down instead of the other way around.

When I was stable enough, I stood to leave, apologizing over and over for all the pain and loss I'd caused. As I was walking out of the door, someone grabbed my arm.

I turned to see Mr. Rollins guiding me back inside. I stared at him, wondering what his intention was.

He led me to the kitchen where the whole family was seated for dinner. Mrs. Rollins stood at the end of the table, almost smiling despite the dreadful news I had just told her.

"Will you join us, Hermione?" she asked, smiling warmly.

I gaped at her. "Mrs. Rollins, I…"

"_Mum_," she insisted. "I may have lost a son, but I gained a daughter."

I stared, then smiled. I didn't know what had caused her change of heart, but I was happy. I was slightly at peace.

I had a family again.

A/N: So, a bittersweet ending to this chapter! To find out what happens next, you've got to _**ReViEw!!**_ Oh, and I wouldn't mind it if you read my other fic, 'The Past', as well! THANKS!


	5. Chapter 5

DISCLAIMER: The following chapter consists fully of characters that _I _own-except Hermione. JKR can keep her; I just want the red head ;p

A/N: There are three new characters introduced: Katie, Rachel, and Eliza. I'm sorry I neglected to introduce Eliza earlier, but that's just the way it is. Katie's name is only taken from my own mind. Rachel, on the other hand, is the name of not only one, but TWO of my best friends who inspired me to write more. Were it not for them, you wouldn't have this story ;p

This is dedicated to them. Don't worry, it's sad now, but it will get better.

* * *

CHAPTER FIVE

Twelve days.

I didn't return to camp until early the next morning. The Rollins were all very courteous, although some were not _quite _as kind as the others. Still, it was _more_ than I could have hoped for; I'd expected to have to stop myself from being burned at the stake. Instead, I had been welcomed into a new and loving family by the same people who had forbid me entrance three years ago.

Coming back to camp was, to say the least, awkward. When I first neared the clearing, I saw Alia lying on top of Ron, making her intentions so obvious that I wanted to laugh out loud at her subtlety. I found it amusing that Ron was doing his very best to push her off of him, but it didn't seem like it had been that way earlier.

"Alia, _gerroff!_" he finally exclaimed, forcing her to move to his side. "We need to find Hermione. She's been gone too long…"

"_Why _do you _always _talk about _Hermione?!_"

Ron stared at his girlfriend, mouth open in shock at this outburst. I stopped and stared as well, surprised by the sudden change in atmosphere.

Alia leaned into Ron, seemingly apologizing for her harsh tone. "You really do talk about her _a lot._ It makes me wonder, Ron…"

"Alia!" Ron shouted, shrugging out of her embrace. "How could you even start to _think _something like that?"

Alia sighed. "You've known her longer, she's the most talented witch _I_ know, and you were always saying how much you missed her…"

"Listen," he said, taking her hands in his. "Hermione is my _best friend_. If that makes her a threat in your book, I'm sorry but you'll have to deal with it. I'm _never _going to turn my back on her."

He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, smiling.

"But I'll also _never _turn my back on _you_."

Alia smiled. "You'd never get the chance!"

Before she could start again with her fancies, I decided to make myself known to them. I wouldn't let them know I'd heard the conversation, of course, but it really got me thinking…

As soon as I stepped into the clearing, Ron was up and at my side, making sure I wasn't hurt anywhere. Alia was _very _annoyed with this action after their talk, and I found the look on her face satisfying. Someone as rude as she was did _not _deserve someone like Ron; he deserved _so _much better than he'd chosen in the past. I was bound and determined to either change Alia for him or find him someone else. Marriage is hard, and I knew that although Alia seemed to want it, she was _not _the right person to be married to Ron.

I spent the next half hour relating my visit to Ron. Alia had left at the sight of me to find firewood, but she was still close enough that she could hear what we were saying. Was she _really _that paranoid?

At the end of my story, Ron smiled. He hugged me tightly and whispered, "You _deserve _it, Hermione. _No one _deserves a second chance like you do."

Tears began to leave my eyes suddenly. I stared up at him, smiling, letting the warmth of his friendship fill me.

For another moment, I was happy.

The next day, I went back to the Rollins. I had been able to salvage bits of pictures (I charmed them so they would move in front of the family) and decided to show them their son's life the past two years. Mr. and Mrs. Rollins, as well as Nick's three younger sisters, Katie, Rachel, and Eliza (whom Lizzie was named after), gathered around to see his crooked smile in the photographs. I laughed with them at some of the absurd pictures from our honeymoon, trying to contain the sorrow they held for me. We had gone to Australia in search of my parents, not expecting to find a house burned down, the Dark Mark menacingly staring down at us…

That time, Nick had been there to comfort me. I never thought I'd lose him the same way. It had never occurred to me that my involvement in the war was so much that the remaining Death Eater's would come after me.

I hadn't thought it through.

I tried my best to focus on happier things, on other pictures I had. When I found the fragments of our wedding picture (which I had tried my best to repair) Rachel and Eliza let out simultaneous sighs.

"Hermione, you're _dazzling!_" Rachel exclaimed. She was sixteen and a _hopeless _romantic. I laughed at her dreamy eyes.

"Do you think _I _could ever look like that?" she asked, plodding down next to me on the couch.

"Without a doubt," I replied, smiling with sincerity. "You're _ten times _the beauty I ever was."

Not one to be left out, Eliza, fourteen, squeezed herself between her sister and myself. "What about me, Hermione?"

"I have no doubt you will _both _grow into absolutely gorgeous women!" I said laughing. It felt good to laugh. It let out the stress, let me think for a moment that I was carefree, that there were no Death Eaters to worry about.

The only person not happy to see me (or, I guess everyone else was more happy to see the photographs) was Katie. Katie was only two years younger than me and had been _very _close to Nick. She sat on the other side of the room, seemingly indifferent to the conversation, but I knew she wasn't. She wanted to see the pictures, but couldn't let herself near the person who had taken her only brother away from her.

Mrs. Rollins saw her daughter's grim expression and frowned in confusion. "Why don't you join us, darling? They really are wonderful photographs…"

"No," she replied, tensing the atmosphere. She stared straight into my eyes, her glare like daggers.

"I'd prefer not to."

I took that as my cue to leave. Mrs. Rollins looked peculiarly at her daughter, but I knew that Katie was justified in her thoughts and actions. I gathered up my things, thanking the family for the afternoon, and left my pictures on the table.

"You can keep these," I said. "I have the memories."

Katie stared at me as I walked out the door. Just when I was about to apparate, Eliza ran outside, yelling my name. I turned and smiled at her exuberant face. She was so much like I imagined my Lizzie would have been…

"Why did you name her after me?" Eliza asked, her face beaming. "I didn't want to ask inside because I didn't want to hurt Rachel or Katie's feelings."

I grinned and shrugged. "Nick's the one who decided. I think he thought you were the liveliest and expected Lizzie to be that way as well."

"Was he right?" she prodded.

I smiled, remembering my daughter's mischievousness. "With a father like Nick and a mother like me, how could she not be?"

Eliza smiled, reminding me _very _much of Lizzie once again. Then again, all three of them had qualities similar to Lizzie's. It was just her name that made me pay extra attention…

Possibly the real reason I had visited the Rollins was to get my mind off the coming days. Today was the eleventh of September, one week before my birthday. That meant that there were only four days left until the fifteenth–our anniversary. It also meant that there were only nine days left until what would have been Lizzie's first birthday.

Obviously, visiting _family _and looking at pictures of my _wedding _were not the best ways to forget that in four days, we would have been married for three complete years. Cooing over my beautiful daughter when she was first born was _not _the ideal way to forget that her first birthday was in little more than a week.

Still, visiting the Rollins had brightened my day. They were _family_, the only family I had left.

When I returned to camp around 19:00, I found that Ron had gone to fetch some potion supplies. We were trying this new technique of Soul Searching, which required us to drink the potion and then say the name of the Soul, or person, we wanted to find. A path would then open to the drinker's eyes only, allowing them to follow a straight line in the direction of the person they were trying to find. The one downside to this was that the track _seemed _solid, but in reality it was only a vision brought on by the potion. You had to be _very _careful where you stepped.

Which was why we were going to fly. To be honest, I wasn't comfortable with the idea. To this day, flying has always and will always make me nauseous. Ron offered to let me ride on his, but one look from Alia disregarded that thought. We were all to ride individually, Ron leading since he would drink the potion.

Alia was occupying herself with a craft of some sort when I arrived. She barely glanced at me, just relayed Ron's location. I sat down opposite her to examine her activity. She seemed to be untangling a web of some sort, looping it in and out of her fingers in different combinations, her eyes focused.

"What is that?" I asked, curious.

She shot me a look of annoyance before returning to her work. "I'm making a map of the area," she replied. "in case any of us get lost."

She placed it on the floor and I could roughly see the resemblance of the forest we were in. "I went exploring today and decided to track our whereabouts with this," she went on, reaching for her wand. "When I charm it, it will change as we move, showing our exact location and the locations of the other two."

I stared at her, finally remembering how to make the Changing Map. I hadn't done it since Hogwarts, and even then it was one lesson in Transfiguration that I did not catch onto quickly; I wasn't good at maps.

I watched her as she mumbled the spells under her breath. "And you're doing this so no one gets into any trouble alone?"

Again, she quickly glared in my direction. "You don't _necessarily _have to be alone to get in trouble," she said curtly.

My eyes narrowed, and hers did not leave mine. I studied her misguided and bold face, trying to find _anything _Ron could _possibly _see in her.

"If you think," I began, "that I would _ever _behave inappropriately around someone else's boyfriend, especially my very own _best friend_…"

"That's just it," Alia said, her voice lowering. "You're awfully close for _just _best friends."

I was fuming. How _dare _she insult me that way? How dare she insult _Ron _that way? Anyone else who'd known us for little more than a second could see that there was _nothing _left to discover in our relationship. Aside from that, _everyone _knew our integrity. _No one _would _ever _accuse us of committing an immoral sin–aside from Ron's own girlfriend.

Although this was extremely insolent, I settled for an explanation even _she _would be able to understand. "I just lost my husband two weeks ago, not to _mention _my baby. Do you _honestly _believe for _one second _that I would be trying to replace them?"

Alia's eyes shifted, and she sighed as she stared at the ground. "No, I suppose not."

I turned away from her, barely satisfied enough to discontinue the argument. I tried my best to pretend I didn't hear her next comment:

"But anything's possible…"

The rest of that day and the day following were uneventful. We moved to a new location, hoping that we _might _be a little closer to the Death Eaters so the Soul Searching potion would work better.

The following night, I didn't sleep well. Nick's face was everywhere, but it wasn't his I was avoiding when I woke; it was Katie's.

All she did was glare at me. She never said anything; she just glared–and cried. Her tears started filling up all the space in my dream. As she pulled Nick higher and higher away from me, what were once just salty droplets collected on one another and rose until I could no longer stand on the ground. I called out to Nick, but he just shook his head, frowning as his sister continued to take him away from me. I reached for him, but he made no effort to pull me up with him. He made a slight gesture with his hands, almost like a wave, and turned to leave with Katie.

"_I will always love you, Hermione…_"

Those were some of the last words I heard from him in life, and now they seemed to be haunting me in my dreams after his death. Again, I woke up crying. I knew Ron wouldn't be at my side like he used to, but I saw him turn from his watch post with concern.

Alia seemed to be completely asleep, so I decided that this was probably one of the _only _times in the next few months that I would get the chance to talk to him alone. I stood and joined him at the edge of the circle, welcoming his comforting embrace.

"Merlin, Hermione," he said softly, staring off into the distance. I followed his gaze, watching two thestrals graze in the grass before us. They were a shivering reminder of all we'd been through, of what we'd experienced…

"What do you dream of?" I asked him, mildly curious, but mostly trying to get our minds off other things. He smiled, glad that _I _was the one lightening the atmosphere for once.

"Well," he replied, thinking it through. "lots of things."

He smirked, that evil smirk that let me know he was either joking or being incredibly immature (usually both). "Mostly of beautiful women bending to my every whim."

"You haven't changed a bit," I replied, smiling despite his infantile behavior.

He laughed, shaking his head. "To be honest, I don't really dream at all."

There was no need to ask what _I _dreamed of; he knew well enough. It was time for another subject change, but this time Ron instigated it.

"What do you think of Alia?"

By the expression on my face, I probably didn't even need to say anything, but I did anyway. "I think she's an evil little viper with a knack for offending people."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the corners of Ron's mouth sneak up as he stifled a laugh.

"She is a bit…opinionated, isn't she?"

"Merlin, Ron!" I exclaimed, unable to contain myself. "What is _wrong _with that girl? _Anyone _who knows either of us _at all _knows there's _nothing _aside from friendship! How could she even _contemplate _me being interested at you, especially at a time like this?"

Ron was going to let me rant, but I decided to stop before I said something truly insulting. The last thing we needed was hostility between Ron and myself; usually, that took a _long _time to get resolved.

As I calmed down, he fumbled with his hands. "So, you _don't _think I should ask her to marry me?"

I caught my breath, debating whether or not I should voice my true opinion. He had already guessed it, but…

"Never in a million years, Ron," I said, sighing. "Of course it's your decision, but…"

Ron shook his head, interrupting me. "I was thinking the same thing."

I stared at him, trying to figure out exactly how he came to this conclusion when they'd looked so cozy just two days before. Ron saw my expression and again shook his head, taking my hands in his.

"_No one _treats my friends the way Alia's treated you," he whispered, his face intent on showing as much sincerity as possible. "_Especially _not someone who claims to care for me."

I smiled. Ron may pick _awful _girlfriends, but he would have a spectacular wife. I hugged him tightly, squeezing as much breath out of him as possible. He laughed and forced me to loosen my grip, but I didn't entirely let go. I felt completely safe in his arms, free from all the cares of the world.

"I'll never let you go, Hermione," he said, sighing. His arms rested on my shoulders and he forced me to sit up and look him in the eyes.

"_Never._"

* * *

A/N: So, what do you think? Advanced critique encouraged, please! (Not on opinion of pairings, because I'm right and you're wrong, but more on the presentation of events and thoughts, as well as structural errors and such). In order to do so, you've got to **_ReViEw ASAP!!_**


	6. Chapter 6

DISCLAIMER: No one loves Ron more than I do. Not J.K., not Alia, not his mum--no one. He is completely mine; NO ONE can take him from me. Sure, go ahead and try. You'll be sorry, though.

* * *

CHAPTER SIX

Sixteen days.

I hugged Ron for a long time. I really didn't want to let go; he was one of the only people I had left in this world. I felt his fingers run through my hair tenderly and smiled. He _really _cared about me, and he wanted to comfort and protect me.

Footsteps from behind distracted me. Ron's hand returned to his side quickly as they stopped. I slowly sat up to face a _livid _Alia, glaring straight into my eyes. I caught my breath, waiting for the banshee to let out her shriek, but she just stood there, trying her best to intimidate me.

The silence was maddening! We stayed in our positions for what seemed to be _ages_, none of us wanting to be the first to speak. Finally, Alia let out a breath and turned her eyes away from mine, giving up trying to force me into confession. Instead she set them on Ron, pleading silently.

Ron ran his fingers through his hair, "Alia, we need to talk…"

"I'll say," she replied, her eyes flickering back to me. I, in turn, rolled mine. There was nothing _wrong _with friends caring for one another as Ron cared for me. To an outsider it might seem suspicious, but not to someone who knew what we had been through, what I was _currently _going through, and how long we'd been friends.

Unless it was Alia, of course.

"It has _nothing _to do with her," Ron said, his eyes also flickering in my direction. For a moment, I thought saw a twinge of guilt; I can't say where it came from or why it was there, but Ron was hiding _something_, from both of us.

Alia shook her head and turned away from him. "I'm sick of your _lies_, Ron!"

She stomped into the forest furiously. Ron sighed, glanced at me, then followed her, trying to make her stop. I watched him go, wishing he wouldn't; he didn't even _like _her, yet he was still trying to appease her somehow.

_He's a sucker for girls_, I thought sadly. If not that, he just cares about people too much for his own good.

Waiting for them to return, I decided to make myself useful. We still had the Soul Searching potion to brew before Ron drank it this afternoon. Placing the ingredients in front of me, I set to work, blocking Alia's screams from my ears. Even after I finished the potion, which took about an hour and a half, the two of them were still at it. I heard muffled cries in the direction they had gone, and a soothing voice.

I sighed. No matter how much Ron tried to convince her, she would always believe he was breaking up with her because of me. Unless she left our group to move on with her life, she would try to make me miserable the rest of the time we spent together.

Ron came back before she did, rubbing his temples. He gave me a weak smile before turning to pack up his belongings. I put down the potion and went to him, deciding he needed some strength.

"How'd she take it?" I asked, kneeling as he tried to roll up his sleeping bag. "I mean, aside from the screaming and all."

Ron sighed and gave up his attempt to put the sleeping bag away. I took it from him and set to work as he spoke, "It's better this way," he said, not quite convincing me of his sincerity. "She's not happy; I know she still suspects it's because of you. In a way, it is."

I raised one eyebrow, waiting for an explanation.

He shook his head. "She wouldn't stop _insulting _you, Hermione! You're my _best friend _and she was treating you like garbage. The only thing you're guilty of is seeing her for what she really was and giving good advice to a friend."

I hid a smile as I tied the ends of the bag together, handing it to Ron. As he took it, I placed my hand on his cheek.

"Everything will work out," I said, standing. "I'm sure she'll see the truth eventually, and you can still be friends. You've done nothing wrong, Ron."

He forced a smile and set to work forcing the large sleeping bag into its container. I turned to the tent and began disassembling it carefully. As almost always happens, the poles broke apart before I extracted them from the tent itself. Determined not to use magic, I struggled with the poles, trying to re-attach them while they were still in the tent. In the process, I ended slipping in the mud onto the ground, landing _very _hard. I heard Ron's laughter behind me and, assuming I must look _entirely_ ridiculous, I blushed and had just resolved to give up and take out my wand when I heard Ron walk up behind me.

"Can I help you, Miss?" he asked, his eyes twinkling with laughter.

I jerked to see him better, my eyes wide. When I heard those words behind me, my heart had soared with hope and longing. Those words, which had introduced us, _changed my life_, were still ringing in my ear as Ron knelt down next to me, worried. I continued to stare, lost in the warmth of my heart. No, he wasn't Nick, and I wasn't delusional to think he was, but the _memory _haunted my mind, playing over and over again, overcoming my sense of where I was and who was beside me. Only when Ron took hold of my arm and pulled me to my feet did I snap out of it, but my eyes did not leave his face.

"Are you all right, Hermione?" he asked, concerned. My eyes left his for the first time and went to our intertwined hands.

"I'm fine," I said, slowly removing my hand from his. "You just startled me is all."

Ron watched me, confused, as I picked up the rest of camp using my wand. I didn't look at him. It wasn't until I was done packing that I realized I'd been blushing the entire time.

Not for one moment had I actually _believed _that he was Nick; I wasn't crazy! But the way he had snuck up behind me, the tone of his voice, his laughter, my frustration…it was all a perfect replica of the feelings of that day, the first day Nick and I met. Naturally, I didn't feel the same way about _him _that I had about Nick, but as I replayed the scene in my mind, I felt a warmth inside me, one that wouldn't leave.

I shook my head, trying to forget the experience. If I dwelt on it, it would only make me miss Nick more, cause me to want him more than ever.

"The potion's ready," I said, distracting myself from the previous events. "As soon as Alia gets back, we can leave…"

"I'm here," came her forceful voice from the edge of the clearing. Her face was stained with silent tears as she walked forward and picked up the broom left out for her. She glared at me as she did so, only looking away when Ron approached.

Ron lifted up a cup and filled it to the brim with the Soul Searching potion. He drank it all in one swift movement, his face contorting in dislike for the taste. When he had recovered, he set it down and said the name:

"Blaise Zabini."

That was the only actual _name _Ron had acquired while spying on the Death Eaters, so he was the only one we could track. He grabbed his broom, turned to me, and smiled mischievously.

"Did it work?" I asked, hopefully.

He smirked. "Get ready for some vengeance, Hermione."

I grinned. I would never tire of having Ron fight by my side. He could make any tense atmosphere light with one well-spoken word.

Alia pushed past me as we prepared to take off. Again, her eyes locked with mine in defiance. I only shook my head.

_None of it will matter soon_, I thought to myself. _We'll be done with this._

We took off.

* * *

When we landed, it couldn't have been sooner. I sat in a corner to collect myself as Ron put up protection spells around us. Alia sat next to me, letting her hair out of a tight bun.

She leaned close so only I could hear what she had to say, "Strange how he picks _you_, a witch who can't even ride a broom without vomiting."

I glanced at her, my eyes blazing. "For the _last time_, Alia, it's _not me_!"

She stood sharply and strolled over to help Ron. I wished Harry would come back; maybe _then _she would get some sense and _leave_!

I busied myself with setting up camp while they completed our circle of protection charms. When we were all finished, we sat to discuss our plan of attack.

"Can you still see the path, Ron?" I asked.

He nodded. "It ends at that hill," he said, pointing straight behind me. "I think we could make it there in half an hour."

"Then let's _go_!" I said, standing. Although I'm ashamed to admit it, I was _excited_. These murderers, these _monsters_, were about to _finally _get what they deserved. I wasn't blood thirsty—I just wanted vengeance.

Ron hesitated. "Why don't we wait one more day, Herm?"

I gaped at him. "Why? They're _right here_! This could be over in the next few hours!"

He sighed. "What about Harry? And Gin? I don't want to go in there without knowing…"

I bit my lip and looked at the ground. We knew this could be the death of us, and none of us wanted to go in there without Harry. We also didn't want to risk never knowing anything about their baby.

Still, they were _tantalizingly _close! My soul longed to race through the woods and into the hill, with or without my friends beside me. I wanted them to know what it felt like to feel the weight of death on your heart. I wanted them to finally be put to an end.

Ron lifted my chin with one finger. I hadn't noticed him stand up. "We'll get 'em, Hermione," he whispered, his usual smirk in its place.

We stood there for a moment, staring into each other's eyes. His were the same bright blue as Nick's…

Alia cleared her throat and we both turned to look at her. She was shaking. "It's getting late, isn't it? We should get some rest if we plan to kill some Death Eaters tomorrow."

Tomorrow. It would be our third anniversary tomorrow.

I volunteered first watch. As my companions lay down to sleep, I tried to relax, but I couldn't. I was absolutely certain that sooner or later a Death Eater would pass by here. If one did, I didn't think I would be able to stop myself from attacking them.

Just as these thoughts crossed my mind, I heard the crunching of leaves from somewhere in the forest. My muscles tensed up as I slowly took out my wand. The power in it surged through my body, as well as adrenaline, as I waited for the creature to show itself.

Slowly, a figure formed in the darkness. He or she was running towards me, sobbing. I stood, inching towards the outskirts of our circle. When I glanced back, I saw that neither Ron nor Alia had woken up. Curse heavy sleepers.

As the figure came into the moonlight, I gasped.

"_Katie_?" I exclaimed.

Katie Rollins slightly flinched at the sound of her name, barely glancing in my direction. She continued to sob. I ventured forward, trying to speak consoling words, but as soon as I was close enough to touch her, she turned and fled in the other direction.

I rushed back into the circle and woke a groggy Ron so I would be able to leave the clearing. As soon as he was up, I grabbed a broom and began flying over the trees, searching for my sister-in-law, my husband's best friend. I found her in another clearing about a mile away. She ran _fast._

She was _wailing_ as I landed—I was surprised I hadn't been able to hear her sooner from all the noise she was making! She had fallen on her knees in exhaustion, her head between her legs, hands shielding its top. Her sandy brown hair was uncombed and knotted, as if she had been in a fight recently. Seeing the condition of her hands and legs, it was almost certain she had been. She lifted her head slightly as I approached, just enough for me to see her black left eye. I dropped the broom and ran to her side, throwing an arm around her in comfort.

"Katie, what happened?" I asked, gasping at the purple bruises and open cuts scattered all over her body. "Who did this to you?"

Suddenly, Katie stood up, her eyes filled with wrath. There was a dull kitchen knife in her hand, pointed at my heart. Taken off guard, I scrambled for my wand as I tried to stand. It had been in my back pocket…

I looked up to see Katie twirling it above her head in the air. She had grabbed it as I knelt to comfort her.

I gaped at her. "Katie, what are you—"

"SHUT UP!" she screamed. I flinched at the harshness in her voice. She advanced towards me, still twirling my wand, knife still pointed at my heart. "ALL THAT COMES OUT OF YOUR MOUTH IS LIES! SHUT UP!"

I remained silent. She was breathing deeply, her eyes aflame. "All I wanted was my brother, and you took him away from me! You KILLED HIM! HE'S DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU!"

I felt tears come to my eyes, but I didn't show it. Slowly, I attempted to stand. As soon as I made this move, however, she screeched and grabbed me by the hair on my head, pressing her knife against my throat.

"IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE YOU!" she exclaimed. "THEY WERE ONLY GOING TO KILL YOU! BUT YOU WEREN'T THERE! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE THERE!"

My jaw dropped. I couldn't be sure I wasn't jumping to conclusions, but it seemed like she had just said that—

"I TOLD THEM WHERE YOU LIVED!" she continued, sobs returning through the rage. "I FOUND OUT, AND I TOLD THEM!" She dropped to her knees once more, covering her face in her hands.

"_I told them…_"

The full reality of what she had done sunk in to both of us. She had sold us out; she had found the Death Eaters somehow and led them to our house.

All to kill me.

"But why?" I asked, my voice cracking in anger and pain. "Why did you talk to them? 'Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live', remember? Why did you trust them—?"

"_Because they wanted to kill you too!_" she said, her red eyes staring up at mine. "All I wanted was Nick back, and you took him from me! But I couldn't be the one to kill you…it would have hurt Nick…so someone else had to do it…"

"Katie," I began, trying to calm myself down. "I loved you brother…"

"LIES!" she screamed again. In a split second, I was on the ground, and she was kneeling over me, the cold metal she held once again on my neck. "I should have killed you myself long ago, you _witch! _You were never any good to my brother! You always had him under a spell, and _I couldn't break it! _He would have been _devastated _if you died, but especially if _I _killed you, so I couldn't do it!"

We were both panting. I felt warm blood from my neck fall into the inside of my shirt, and salty tears fall into my open mouth.

She smiled wickedly, and in that instant, I could see the same evilness and desire for killing which corrupted so many people and sent them to Voldemort's side during the war. I saw a flame in her eyes that scared me so much I was convinced I would dream of it for nights to come—if I ever lived.

"But now he's not here," she whispered. "There's nothing to hold me back."

I caught my breath as she pressed the knife more firmly against my throat.

"_It's your turn to die._"

* * *

A/N: So, I was going to finish the scene, but it just felt so natural to stop it there. I guess you won't find out what happens 'till you**_ REVIEW!_**


	7. Chapter 7

DISCLAIMER: I'm running out of ideas for disclaimers. It's always the same thing: Ron's mine, not yours, not J.K.s. I think you'd be sick of it too. So, I guess I'll just say this: J.K. is amazing and I wish I could claim to be her in any way shape or form. Unfortunately, I can't.

Enjoy Chapter Seven! Sorry it took so long to post. ;p

* * *

CHAPTER SEVEN

Time seemed to stop. I heard and felt everything in slow motion. Katie's knee was pushing the breath out of my lungs and the dull knife slowly cut deeper into my neck as Katie hesitated. She finally lifted it with two hands, her weapon glistening a deep red in the moonlight.

_She lifted it with two hands…_

She had dropped my wand, and it was only inches away from my hand! If I grabbed it, I would be able to defend myself, disarm her…

But I didn't. I can't explain my hesitation, but I couldn't bring myself to take up my wand again. Maybe it was because I knew she was right, that I really _was _the cause of Nick's death, as well as Lizzie's, and Mum's and Dad's. I hadn't been able to protect them, and all four of them had died because of me. Because of my confidence in magic.

Or maybe I didn't defend myself because I wanted to see Nick again.

Katie shrieked and pointed the knife downwards. I caught my breath, but soon relaxed. _I'll see you soon, Nick,_ I thought to myself, almost smiling. _I'm ready to die._

"NO!"

At first I thought it had all been in my head, but Katie had obviously heard the sound as well. The forceful voice shocked both of us enough for Katie to stop the knife in thin air. It sounded so familiar, yet it was far away, high above us…

"DON'T TOUCH HER!"

I tensed. It was probably just an imagination, but I thought I saw someone high up in the clouds, like and angel…

_He doesn't want me to die,_ I realized suddenly, whether or not it was actually his ghost that spoke. _He doesn't want this to happen._

Katie shook her head and resumed her position.

"No more waiting!" she exclaimed, her eyes burning with hatred. "You die NOW!"

My courage returning to me, I seized my wand as she brought the knife down. I was going to be too late…

"PROTEGO!" came the voice.

Katie flew off of me as the shield surrounded my body. Her knife fell to the side. She scrambled to her feet as I rolled over and grabbed it. I stood up quickly, clumsily holding the knife outwards, just in time to see Katie running towards me.

"STOP!" I screamed.

But she was already running too fast. Her small frame crashed into mine, the knife in the middle. I felt blood cover my shirt and hands as the weapon was thrust into her stomach. Her face contorted in pain and her eyes glossed over in an instant as her full weight rested on top of me, buckling me to my knees.

After a moment, she rolled over silently, staring blankly into the stars. I numbly crawled to her side and yanked the knife out of her stomach. Blood fell freely onto the ground, staining the green grass red. I gasped for breath as I realized the truth.

She was dead.

_I had killed her_.

As tears fell from my eyes and sobs escaped my throat, I brushed her sandy brown hair out of her eyes, smearing blood on her forehead, and lifted her head from the ground. I fell down next to her, wishing I could die and be rid of all of my guilt.

She was my sister-in-law, and Nick's _best friend_.

At some point, I felt strong arms surround me and pick me up. The owner of them whispered consoling words in my ear, telling me everything would be all right. I stared into the face of the person carrying me, unsure of the identity of my rescuer.

"Nick?" I asked, my eyes drooping as I struggled to stay awake.

I heard him laugh softly. "Sleep, Hermione."

* * *

When I awoke, I was back in the clearing, wrapped up in my sleeping bag. Ron was filling a large hole in the ground with dirt, sweating profusely. When he finally put the shovel down, he turned, his face full of distress. He ran his fingers through his hair and glanced at me, not realizing I was awake, before changing his sweaty shirt into a clean one, then fetched some food—raisins—from my bag and sat down to eat.

I think it was about this time that I understood what had happened the night before. The voice above Katie and I was in fact someone in the sky, but it wasn't the voice of a ghost. It was not Nick's voice, no matter the delusions I was having, and it wasn't a voice that was just in my head.

But it was still the voice of an angel.

As I looked at him, I can't quite describe what I felt. He'd saved my life countless times and I'd never given him more than a second glance, but for some reason I couldn't stop gaping at him. Maybe it was because of all the pain I had gone through recently, or maybe I was finally realizing just how much Ron cared about me, but I felt a joy in having him with me like I'd _never_ felt around anyone before. His words from two days ago came back to me in a rush, happiness enveloping my entire being:

"_I'll never let you go, Hermione."_

Similar words from another man came to me immediately afterwards:

"_I will always love you, Hermione."_

Both men were my best friends, and would do anything for me. Both had the ability to make me exceeding happy when I was in distress. Both had been through tough times with me as family members were killed, and both had offered their shoulders as comfort. Both had vowed to stay true to our promises in love or friendship to each other, in actions and in words.

Both were my angels.

Of course there was one _huge _difference between the two, and that had to do with the diamond on my left ring finger. Harry and Ginny used to tease me that I liked Ron during my fourth and fifth years at Hogwarts, and at the time it was true, but I'd never imagined and actual _relationship_ between the two of us, and I certainly couldn't now.

_Could I?_

We had never been even _close _to being more than friends; how could we when we were arguing all the time? We were completely opposite human beings in almost every way, and we usually couldn't bear to be alone with only each other for company for more than a few hours. We were always getting on each other's nerves, doing our best to put the other down. There was never a chance that we ever could have had a lasting relationship!

But Ron had changed…

As I thought about the way he held me the night Nick died, his constant words of comfort, his jokes, his laugh, his _eyes_…the way he caught my tears and ran his fingers through my hair when I was tired, how he always seemed concerned about me and what I wanted…

_Why was I having these thoughts right now?!_

It was only seventeen days since I'd run into my burning house to find the bodies of my husband and daughter, lying lifeless. It was three years back today that I had married Nick and devoted my life to him, given up _magic _for him. In five days, it would have been Lizzie's first birthday. I couldn't be thinking things like this!

_And why was Ron staring at me?_

I hadn't seen him put the food away or pack up the loose items around camp. I also hadn't seen him sit on the ground next to me as I was lost in my thoughts.

"Are you all right?" he finally asked, almost in a whisper.

I nodded.

"I thought I was going to lose you last night," he said, his voice cracking. "I thought you were going to let her kill you…"

He took my hand and looked earnestly into my eyes.

"Nick wouldn't want that," he stated firmly. "_And I wouldn't be able to bear it._"

I caught my breath as his thumb caressed my knuckles. Neither of us knew what to say next.

He pulled me towards him and wrapped his arms securely around me. I felt incredibly safe and—at the same time—surprisingly uncomfortable. My heart started beating faster than normal as I felt his lips near my ear.

"_I'll never let you go, Hermione_," he whispered. "_I'll always be here for you_."

I felt a sob escape my throat. Ron reacted instinctively, shifting our position so he would be able to hold me, run his fingers through my hair, whisper consolingly. I buried my face in his shirt, letting myself cry.

But why was I crying?

I myself don't know if they were tears of sorrow or tears of joy. Was I crying for Nick, Lizzie, and Katie? Or was I crying because of Ron's words?

_Was I happy or sad?_

Whatever the case, I let Ron hold me. There was something peculiar about it this time, something—awkward. It had never been awkward before for him to hold and comfort me. I had never felt this warmth and discomfort while he was consoling me. I felt his knuckles run up and down my spine and shivered.

_None _of these actions were new or different! He was behaving the exact way he had for the past week and a half—nothing had changed!

And yet, something _had_.

His words repeated themselves in my brain over and over again, as if I was searching for a deeper meaning in them.

"_I'll never let you go, Hermione_."

_I didn't want him to ever let me go_.

I wanted his arms to stay wrapped around me forever, to keep me safe. I wanted him always by my side; I didn't ever want to be separated.

By this time my tears had stopped. Ron started pulling away, and I held on tighter. I couldn't let him out of my sight, couldn't let him leave.

He was my guardian angel.

As if the devil himself could hear my thoughts, Alia was suddenly standing over us, a look of false concern on her face. She almost forcefully separated Ron and myself to look into my eyes.

"Oh, Hermione, are you all right?"

I glared at her and saw her eyes twinkle. There was no sympathy in her gaze, only hatred. She didn't care that I had almost died the night before. All she cared about was the fact that I was suffering.

And she wasn't about to let Ron comfort me.

"Leave her alone, Alia," Ron said strongly, startling us both.

Their eyes met for an instant, and I saw her face contort in pain. The stare that he gave her would be enough to scare anyone who was on the receiving end.

"Ron, I—" she stammered.

"_No more, Alia_," he said softly. "You _will _leave her alone."

She stumbled to her feet and stared at him, ash white. His eyes did not leave hers until she had entered the tent. Then they turned back to me, quickening my breathing.

"No one's going to hurt you anymore," he said, smiling.

"_I promise_."

I didn't know what to say. We sat there, staring into each other's eyes, trying to read the other's thoughts. After ages, I finally decided to speak.

"Thank you," I whispered.

He squeezed my hand and smiled. Without another word, he was back on his feet, cleaning up camp.

And I was still staring at him.

* * *

Alia came out of the tent only when Ron yelled to say he was taking it down. Then she sat by me, her face fallen.

"Hermione, I…" she started, then shook her head.

"I'm so sorry."

I glanced at her only for a moment before rolling up my sleeping back. I heard her sigh behind me and waited.

"I really don't know what came over me," she continued, shaking her head. "I was…awful, to say the least. I was a shrieking banshee during your hard times. I can't imagine what you've had to endure…"

She sighed again, and put her head in her hands.

"I don't deserve friendship with anyone in the Order," she stated sadly. "They all saw that. That's why I was never included…"

I placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Don't get down on yourself. We all make mistakes."

She shook her head. I took her hands in mine and forced her to look at me.

"You're _not _a bad person," I said, surprising even myself. "Yes, you have made my life a living _hell _recently, but that can all be changed and forgotten. When I first met Harry and Ron, I was the most _annoying _little brat even _I _can imagine. Now we're best friends."

"I think I've lost my chance," she said, her eyes shifting to where Ron was folding up the poles.

I let go of her hands, shaking my head. If she wanted to be all doomsday because of Ron, then let her be. There was nothing I could say that would change her mind.

When we had finished, Ron came over and gave me a short hug before presenting me with my wand.

"Ready?" he asked. "Or do you want to wait some more?"

I looked at the mound of dirt where Katie was buried, and then at the hill in the distance.

I shook my head. "Let's go."

We all stood. The only things we were taking we our brooms—we couldn't have anything slowing us down.

Ron took my hand in his and held it firmly. I stared at our fingers before meeting his eyes.

In them I saw something I've never seen before. I can't explain what it was, but the emotion behind them caused my heart to flutter terrifyingly. He held my gaze for a full minute before removing his hand.

"We'll get 'em," he sighed. "_No one _hurts you and gets away with it."

He tucked a piece of stray hair behind my ear. I closed my eyes.

"_I promise._"

* * *

A/N: well, what did you think? did I do an ok job? PLEASE tell me the absolute truth! I want nothing less. Thank you so much for reading and please **_Review!!!!_**


	8. Chapter 8

DISCLAIMER: I'm sick of disclaimers. This is all I have to say:

RON IS MINE!!

* * *

CHAPTER EIGHT

My thoughts were racing. These killers, these _monsters_, were finally going to get what they deserved. All the countless hours spent wallowing in guilt would now be over. I was about to avenge my families.

Ron saw the look on my face and smirked. "You're sure you're ready for this?" he asked sarcastically.

I playfully punched him in the shoulder before picking up my broom. "It would have been nice to have Harry here," I admitted.

Ron smiled sadly and nodded. There was something missing without our best friend by our side, some of our usual confidence and determination. Harry had brought all that. Neither of us really understood how he had kept himself motivated.

Or did we?

I thought about my sweet daughter, putting her to bed, spending countless hours playing with her, fussing over her first word, the first time she walked; my loving husband, always finding new ways to make me laugh, helping me around the house; my parents, always supportive, doing everything they could to make me happy, to help me have a good life; Katie, her whole life ahead of her, torn from her brother and harrowed by guilt…

I knew exactly where his determination came from.

I looked at the hill in the distance with solemnity. For perhaps the first time, I realized this wasn't about me at all.

_It was about them_.

With a newfound purpose, I mounted my broom. Nothing would keep me from the Death Eaters. There was no one who could stop me from completing my task.

_No one else would die._

We only flew for a few minutes, but it seemed like hours. I was anxious to get there, to face the Death Eaters. Once we landed, I didn't even have my usual dizziness.

_We were here_.

Ron placed Disillusionment Charms on Alia and me, then I placed one on him. We slowly crept through the shadows of cave, looking for signs of life. Our object was to find out who the leader was, kill or capture him or her, and come back later with the rest of the Order as backup. We weren't crazy enough to think we could take all the remaining Death Eaters alone; they had undoubtedly recruited more.

Something struck me as odd as we walked through the dark opening in the hill. There weren't many charms of protection that I had detected, and we still hadn't come across a living soul.

We searched for hours. I didn't leave a single stone unturned. I couldn't find _any _concealment on the walls or floors, yet they _had _to be here _somewhere_!

_Unless…_

I let out a groan and sat on the ground. I saw the air shimmer as Ron sat down as well. I didn't know where Alia was.

"They left!" I exclaimed, my face in my hands.

Ron shook his head (or I assumed he did). "They couldn't have, Hermione…"

"They _did_, Ron!" I said, making myself visible again. "They knew we were here!"

"How?" Ron challenged. "There's no way…"

"Why do you think Katie was here last night?" I asked.

Ron paused. I stood and began pacing.

"She was here last night to see them."

"Hermione, that doesn't make any sense…"

"She was angry!" I said, my voice cracking. "They were supposed to leave Nick and Lizzie alone; all they were supposed to do was kill _me_! Katie didn't have a _clue _who she was dealing with, so she came here to confront them…"

I felt my throat close with the oncoming tears. I thought of what her night must have been like. I could hear her screaming in my head as I thought of the word _crucio_ repeated over and over, until she was unable to bear it any longer, until she decided death would be better than this torture. I felt her pain when the next person she had seen was me, the _reason _she had endured the abuse of the Death Eaters. I remembered her shrieks and her tears, the fear that encompassed her entire being…

I felt invisible arms surround me, and I realized I had been shaking. They caressed my arms slowly, then moved upward to my shoulders before one of them stroked my ear and neck. I closed my eyes, caught up in the sensations of my body. It was like Nick was there again.

_But somehow it was stronger..._

I gasped and quickly moved away. Ron took the charm off of himself and looked at me, puzzled.

"Hermione, what—"

"Nothing," I answered hurriedly, trying to not look in his eyes. There was something there, something I had never noticed...

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I still don't see how they knew we were coming."

"One of them must have followed Katie when she left," I answered, still trying to calm my heart down.

"But why, Hermione? It doesn't make sense."

"She was _running_, Ron," I said. "Maybe she got away somehow."

Ron snorted. "From _them_? They would have just killed her on the spot. Besides, how in the _world _did she get that knife?"

I had to admit he had me stumped there. How _did _she get that knife? And how _did _she get away? She obivously _had _to have been here because of them; why else would she travel this far from home?

"Then maybe she wasn't followed…" I mused.

Ron exhaled slowly. "Why did they leave then?"

I shrugged. "Maybe they had somewhere to go. Another house to attack—"

_Another house to attack..._

The realization of what I had just said hit me. I stopped breathing. If Katie had truly been here the night before, there was only one house I could imagine them bringing all of their power and destruction to. There was one house where they were intent to _punish..._

Ron dashed to my side. "Hermione, are you all right?"

I shook my head and began running towards the exit. Ron followed and soon caught a hold of my arm.

"Where are you _going_?!"

"_They went to the Rollins'!_" I shrieked, shocked by my volume. "_They're going to kill them!"_

Ron gaped at me, but soon recovered. We were running side by side until he stopped again.

"What about Alia?" he asked.

"You find her!" I snapped impatiently. "I'll go to the Rollins'!"

"You _can't _go by yourself, Hermione—"

"_If you care about Alia, you'll have to find her alone! She's not important to me!!_"

Ron blinked. I didn't realize the harshness in my voice until _after _I had already said it. His jaw was slightly dropped in surprise.

Before he or I could say anything else we would both regret, I fled the cave. My only object was to get there, to protect the family I had left…

I didn't bother with a broom. I ran until I was sure I could apparate, then did so. In my haste, I was about a block away from their house, but I could already see the flames, and the mark in the sky.

Neighbors were gathering in front of the house; I apparated to the front of the group, probably sending a few muggles into shock. I didn't pause, but immediately ran through the burning door. Shouts of my madness followed me, but I didn't care. Those people meant nothing to me.

I was greeted immediately by the corpse of Mrs. Rollins. She hadn't had the luxury of meeting death by the Killing Curse—there was a knife in the back of her neck, and she was slumped over the couch, fear frozen on her face.

I wanted to stop, but I knew I couldn't. If there was even one person still living in this house, I needed to save them. I couldn't let myself be distracted, no matter the pain I felt in my heart.

The rest of the ground floor was empty. I apparated to the top of the stairs (since they had already fallen down) and there met Mr. Rollins, his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

By this time my tears were enough to douse the entire fire. I entered the first room, Katie's, and found it empty. Next was the spare room, also empty, then the parent's, then Rachel's—all were completely vacant. Then I rushed into Eliza's room, praying her and her sister had gotten out of the house safely…

Eliza was lying on the ground, her head in Rachel's lap. Rachel was sobbing softly. Eliza, however, would never be able to cry again.

Rachel screamed when I entered, but soon recognized who I was. Immediately she began wailing, letting out all the pain and sadness she had been keeping in. I discerned that she was trying her best to be quiet, to make sure any remaining Death Eater's wouldn't hear her and realize they'd left one alive, but as soon as she saw me it was impossible. I was someone who could feel her pain, who was _currently _feeling her pain.

She rolled over onto the ground, burying her face in the floor. Knowing that the house was falling apart, I put aside my own mourning and tried to pick up little Eliza. Rachel screamed when I did so and raised herself up, grabbing a hold of her sister.

"NO!" she sobbed. "YOU CAN'T TAKE HER!"

"We need to get out of here, Rachel," I yelled, trying to be heard over her wails. "We can't stay. I need you to help me—"

She slowly let go of her sister and covered her face in her hands. I persuaded her to help me carry Eliza to their father in the hall, then apparated downstairs with the two bodies and Rachel to get their mum.

Ron was waiting for us when we appeared in the living room, though there was still no Alia in sight. He had just arrived, for he was staring at the body of Mrs. Rollins in unbelief. He saw me and Rachel, as well as the two others claimed by Death Eaters, and seemed to choke in shock. He began shaking.

We stared at each other, and although it was only for a moment, it felt like eternity. The sorrow in his eyes about equaled mine, and he had never met anyone in this family (unless you count Katie...). In them I could also see something else, that strange emotion that I can't describe, as he looked at me. Memories came flouding back, of his appearance in the woods near my house, his arms consoling me, his lips whispering against my ear in comfort...

I shivered and the spell was broken. Ron took the body of the fourteen-year-old girl from my arms and the hand of her mother. Rachel protested loudly, but I assured her he was all right, that he was a friend, and she soon forgot him and returned to her grief.

The two of us apparated, without consulting where we would go. It only seemed natural that we return to where all of this pain started, to the place where my daughter and husband were killed the same way. We appeared in the trees, just beyond the place we had buried Nick and Lizzie. Rachel fell to the ground and she, too, vomited. I let go of my father-in-law's hand and stumbled a few steps before crumbling to the ground. I saw Ron appear, and in an instant he was holding me.

I would have been absolutely content to stay there forever, if it hadn't been for the presence of Rachel, the only survivor of this tragedy. She was hardly recognizable with her tears and the soot covering her body. As Ron carressed my arms and rocked me back and forth, I realized that I wasn't the one who needed comfort just now. For once, I wasn't feeling all of the pain.

I struggled out of his arms and crawled to Rachel, pulling _her _into _my _arms. She buried her head in my shoulder, her beautiful brown hair falling out of the bun in the back. We cried together, not caring how loud we were. It was at least an hour before our tears became silent.

When Rachel shifted slightly out of my arms, I noticed a deep red stain on my shirt, one considerably newer than the ones from Katie's attack. Quickly, I forced her to sit up and, sure enough, there was a large gash across her forehead, still sprinkling out blood.

I heard Ron's sharp intake of breath behind me. "I'll get a bandage from camp," he said, and a 'pop!' sounded as he dissapparated.

"How did this happen?" I asked, ripping the sleeve of my already ruined shirt and placing it on the cut.

Rachel winced. "One of them attacked me," she answered slowly, wiping her eyes. "I was in the bathroom. He—he pointed at the mirror and it shattered…I was lucky…"

Although it seemed like an unlikely story for a cut of this size, I decided it was better to leave it alone for now. "Let me stop the bleeding—" I said as I picked up my wand from the ground.

"No!" she screamed. Her arms raised themselves to protect her face, and she scooted away from me slightly. "Please! I _hate _those things!"

I sighed and stored my wand in my back pocket. Rachel relaxed.

"How did you survive?" I asked, now seeing the bruises and smaller cuts that were spread over her body. "Why didn't they kill you?"

Rachel shook her head sadly. "I—I pretended to be dead. The man had lifted me into the air with some sort of spell or something after he blew up the mirror, and I couldn't breathe, so, I decided my best chance was to stop struggling and give up. I went limp, and he took the spell off! I kept as still as possible when he came over; I didn't blink, I hardly _breathed_. And—he left."

I stared at her in disbelief. The Death Eaters _I _knew would never just assume someone was dead—they would make sure.

"That's really what happened?" I asked.

Rachel nodded, and suddenly stood up. "We need to find Katie," she said quickly. "She said she was going to a friend's house to spend the night…"

At the look on my face, Rachel went silent. She could tell something was wrong, and it made her very nervous.

"Do—do you know where she is?" she asked.

I _wanted_ to tell her the truth! She should know everything that happened the night before, but I couldn't bring myself to tell her…

I sighed. "Katie—didn't make it to her friend's house."

Rachel stared at me, not comprehending my words. Her visage became extremely worried and she knelt down next to me.

"Is she okay?" Rachel asked, longing in her voice.

I choked back the tears. "No."

Rachel's hand went to her throat. "Where is she?"

"Rachel—"

"_Where is she?!_"

"I—"

"Is she alive?" Rachel pleaded, taking my hands in hers. "Tell me she's alive, Hermione, _please!_"

I sighed and looked away, shaking my head. I couldn't bear to look at her, to see all the pain she was feeling.

_It was all because of me_.

If it weren't for me, this family would _never _have been involved in any part of this war. They would all still be alive and happy, without a care in the world.

_I was responsible for their deaths._

I heard Rachel scream as she realized the truth. She fell on the ground next to me and curled into a ball. I realized that breaking down with her would accomplish nothing, so instead I tried to comfort her. Not knowing I was the person who killed her sister, she welcomed my embrace.

I wanted to die of shame.

This young sixteen-year-old had been stripped of her entire family in two weeks time. She was completely alone.

_All because I fell in love with her brother._

* * *

A/N: Isn't that _awful? _Pleeeeeeeeeeease review, it means so much to me! Sorry, but Chapter Nine probably won't be up for a while...You know, Christmas and all...

**_ReViEw!!! _**


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER: **HE'S MINE, I TELL YOU! ALL MINE!

A/N: Sooooo sorry it took me so long to post this! I've been extremely busy with school and have just not had a ton of time! That's also the reason why this chapter is shorter than most of the other ones. However, it's still important, so you still have to read the whole thing ;p

* * *

**CHAPTER NINE**

Eventually, Rachel fell asleep. About the same time, so did my right arm, but, miraculously, the tingling didn't force me to move it. All I could focus on was the pain I had caused this beautiful girl.

She looked so peaceful asleep, when in reality her life was filled with torment. I gazed sadly at her serene face, knowing that this was the only way she would find peace for a long time, assuming she didn't dream like me. As soon as she woke, the pain and sadness, the loss of innocence, would again be written plainly on her face. No mask could hide it. As my eyes began to water, I channeled my thoughts in a new direction.

Why had Ron been gone for so long? He new exactly where the bandages were; there was nothing to stop him from returning quickly for Rachel.

…Except Alia of course.

She _must_ have returned to camp when she couldn't find us. When Ron arrived looking for the bandage, naturally she would have wanted to know what was going on and, being her overprotective self, would have been persistent. It hadn't _really_ been _that_ long, had it?

I glanced at my watch and held my breath. _It had been almost three hours._

Shielding my panic, I gently woke Rachel from her sleep. Immediately, her soft serene smile faded into a frown.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, alarmed.

"Ron's not back yet," I responded delicately. "He's probably fine, but--"

"Of course," Rachel replied, the slightest bit of panic in her voice.

I shook my head as I helped her stand. Taking her hands in mine, I said, "The last thing we want to do is panic. It's probably nothing."

Rachel nodded, but I could tell she was uneasy.

As we were about to apparate, I paused; my heart dropped as I scanned the clearing. We _couldn't_ leave the bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Rollins and Eliza lying on the ground. I glanced at Rachel. She was rigid, suddenly realizing the full reality of her nightmare.

As I was about to speak, she asked, "Were did you bury Nick and Lizzie?"

I studied her face, confused. "Why?"

"Can I see them?" she whispered hesitantly.

I held my breath, but from the pleading look on her face I knew that this was one thing she needed. She needed to have some physical evidence that her brother existed, even if the corpse was only a shell of the brother she once knew.

"I'll have to use this unless we're going to be here all night," I said, raising my wand. Rachel flinched but nodded.

I quickly removed the dirt from the shallow grave. Both bodies were still in relatively good condition; thankfully, neither had begun to decay. Rachel gasped when she saw the look on Nick's face. I turned away, my body shaking slightly.

She stood back and turned to me, arms wrapped tightly around her tight frame. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I think they should all be together," she said, nodding. "That's what we were waiting for, what Mum was waiting for..."

Her voice broke off suddenly with a sob. I gave her a strong hug and whispered consoling words into her ear. When we parted, she headed towards the closest body, that of Eliza. She forced a smile as we lowered Eliza into the grave.

"You always were his favorite," she sighed. "Fill his days in Heaven with all the joy you held on Earth."

Next, we carried Mr. Rollins' body to the hole. Before placing him inside with the others, Rachel kneeled down and kissed his forehead.

"You finally have a granddaughter," she said, the tears returning swiftly to her eyes. "Enjoy eternity with her, and teach her about her brave mother on Earth."

By this point I was losing the war with my emotions. We headed over to the last body, Mrs. Rollins', and kneeled beside it. Rachel, shaking, put her hand on the handle of the knife, preparing to pull it out, but soon shook her head.

"I…I can't do it," she said, sobbing. "The knife…"

I replaced her hand with mine. The sound of blade scraping against bone reached both of our ears, and we each winced.

_Rachel's hand went immediately to her forehead._

I paused and set the knife down. Rachel began lifting her mother's body, but I motioned her to stop.

"What is it?" she asked, eyes darting to the trees.

"Why did you cover your forehead when you heard the knife?" I asked.

Rachel immediately began shaking. I went to her side and steadied her, eventually helping her sit down.

"I…I didn't…"

"Yes, you did," I said calmly. "Just tell me what happened."

She buried her face in her hands. "I can't, I _can't_…"

"What _really_ happened, Rachel? The whole story you told me was a lie, wasn't it?"

She nodded shamefully, still sobbing.

"Will you tell me how it happened?"

She shook her head.

"Not…now," she stammered.

I nodded and, after helping her back on her feet, picked up Mrs. Rollins. Rachel let out a groan as we lowered her mother, her last family member, into the grave. She stood there for a moment, gathering herself before she said her final parting words.

"You have him back now," she finally whispered. "Treasure him."

She then knelt and said a prayer that I didn't know. I silently watched and waited for her to finish.

When she stood, I raised my wand. "Ready?" I asked.

Rachel nodded and stood back, wincing when I took out my wand. I filled the hole then knelt by it myself.

"I am so sorry," I sobbed.

We each took a few moments to collect ourselves. I was extremely surprised with Rachel's amount of control over her emotions. She was much stronger than I was when Ron and I buried Nick and Lizzie. After staring at the mound of dirt in front of us for a couple of minutes, Rachel sighed and turned her tear-stained face towards me.

"We need to find Ron," she observed.

I nodded. With her statement, a whole new level of anxiety overcame me. What if something _had _happened to him? Was I going to hold a service like this for _him_?

No. It was impossible. He was _not _dead, and he wouldn't be for a long time.

_I was never going to let him go._

* * *

Although she fought against it, we did end up apparating. We did not, however, apparate to a campsite; we apparated to a clearing.

Everything was gone.

I gasped as I stared at the empty space. The only thing remaining was a scrap of parchment sitting on the grass. After a moment of hesitation, I snatched it up. There were only three words written in the note.

_We have them_.

I felt all of the air leave my lungs in one breath, and I couldn't seem to fill them again. I sat on the grass slowly, barely conscious of Rachel's presence beside me. She gingerly took the note out of my hands and, after reading it, began shaking once again.

"By 'we' they mean—"

"Yes. The Death Eaters."

She made a choking sound. Looking at the note once more, she asked, "Where do we start looking?"

I was jerked out of my trance. "_We _don't start looking anywhere."

"Why?" she asked, obviously hurt.

I sighed. "I've cost too many people their lives already. I'm not going to risk anyone else."

There was a moment of silence before Rachel replied.

"What have I got to lose?"

I held my breath. It was exactly the response I would have given, but to hear the words come out of this sixteen-year-old's mouth was disturbing. Yesterday, she had everything she could have ever wanted. Today, it was all burned in the flames of her home. She was so young, and yet, in one day she had matured to a grown adult, capable of making her own decisions.

But that didn't mean her decisions were always the best ones.

"You're a muggle," I said slowly. "You'd have no way of defending yourself. I'd have to defend not only myself but you as well, _and _Ron and Alia seeing as their wands will have been confiscated. By coming with me, you'll not only endanger yourself but the rest of us as well. It's not a good decision."

I glanced sideways to see her reaction. To my surprise, she was nodding in agreement.

"Then where should I go?"

As if in answer to this question, we abruptly heard a rustling in the bushes behind us. I stood and stepped in front of Rachel, my wand at the ready, to see jet black hair and a lightning-bolt scar emerge from the trees. At seeing me, Harry grinned wider than I thought was possible, dropped his bag, and stuffed the Deluminator in his pocket before rushing to embrace me. He laughed and squeezed me hard, not seeming to realize how out of place his actions were. It was an extremely eerie feeling.

"Ginny had the baby!" he announced, his eyes twinkling. "A baby boy!"

I tried to force a smile on my face, but somehow it seemed impossible. After a moment, Harry realized something was wrong. His smile faded and his voice became serious.

"Where's Ron?"

One more look at my face and he knew the answer. Harry screamed in frustration and pulled at the hair on his head.

Not one to waste time, he headed towards his travelling supplies. Before apparating, he turned to face me, the young, vibrant happiness from when he entered gone and replaced with…_age_.

"Grimmauld Place," he said swiftly. "It's safe to talk there."

He looked curiously at Rachel.

"Rachel Rollins," I said, putting a protective arm around her shoulders.

Harry searched my eyes to know why she was there, but in the end decided that, at the moment, it was irrelevant. He nodded, and with a 'pop!' was gone.

I realized that Rachel was shaking again. I squeezed her tight.

"Who was that?" she asked, frightened.

I couldn't help but grin. "The greatest wizard of all time."

* * *

A/N: What did you think? PLEASE let me know ASAP (if you're still interested in reading this since I took so long to post it) Leave a **_ReViEw!!!_**


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: SO sorry it took me so long to post! I've been EXTREMELY busy lately, but I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

**CHAPTER TEN**

Grimmauld Place was absolutely deserted, just as I had expected it to be. Harry was at the door when Rachel and I apparated onto the street behind him. He waited for us before going inside.

Immediately, Mrs. Black's picture began screaming. "NOW YOU'VE BROUGHT _MUGGLES_ INTO MY HOUSE? MUDBLOODS, FILTH, TRAITORS—"

With a flick of his wand, Harry silenced her with the drapes. He looked so…_old_. Part of me wished he didn't know about Ron's capture. He had been so excited for the baby, to share the good news…

I glanced at Rachel. She was ghost white, staring at where the voice had been coming from.

"Do _all _of your pictures do that?" she asked quietly.

Harry chuckled. "No, just the nasty, cursed ones."

Rachel didn't look amused.

I placed my hand on her shoulder reassuringly. She forced a smile in my direction, but screamed almost at the same moment.

"Many apologies miss," said Kreacher from her feet. "Didn't mean to frighten the muggle, master."

Harry sighed. "That's all right, Kreacher. Have you finished cleaning the library?"

"Yes, sir. Finished yesterday evening. Has Mistress had the baby?"

Harry smiled again, seemingly forgetting the task at hand. "Yes, Kreacher. Thank you."

Kreacher _smiled_. "Congratulations, sir. Would you like Kreacher to help care for the baby?"

Harry seemed to snap back into focus. "No," he said, glancing at Rachel. "I want you to take care of this young woman, Kreacher. Her name is Rachel Rollins."

Kreacher eyed Rachel with closer scrutiny. She shivered and moved closer to my side.

"What _are_ you?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"He's a house-elf," I explained. "Don't worry, he's harmless. He'll take good care of you."

"I'll also have someone else come…Lupin and Tonks, perhaps?" he looked at me for approval.

I shrugged. "Anyone would be fine, Harry."

"Get Rachel something to eat, Kreacher," Harry instructed. Turning to Rachel, he said gently, "Follow him into the kitchen. We'll be there in a moment or two."

Rachel glanced at me, uncertain. I nodded, and she hurried on after the tiny house-elf.

Harry sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "What happened, Hermione?"

I told him about everything that had happened since he left—about the Soul Searching potion, Katie, the Rollins, and finally Ron's disappearance. I didn't notice until I was finished that there were tears in my eyes.

He wrapped me in a tight hug, letting me cry on his shoulder for a moment. He was shaking in rage. We separated, and he stared after where Rachel had gone. I knew he could relate to everything she had been through in the past 24 hours. He knew first-hand what it felt like to lose everything in a day, to be completely stripped of everything and everyone he loved.

After a moment, he sighed, and motioned for me to follow him into the kitchen. Rachel sat nervously waiting for someone to explain to her what was going to happen. She was silently playing with a ham sandwich while Kreacher looked on, expectantly waiting more orders.

"Kreacher, go check on my wife," Harry said, smiling as he thought of his growing family. "Send either Lupin or Tonks here and stay at the cottage until I summon you."

"Yes, sir," Kreacher said nodding. He disappeared with a loud 'POP', causing Rachel to jump.

Harry sat down beside her and gently placed his hand over hers. She looked up at him, surprised. In that moment, I saw an instant connection between the two of them; it was as if they were communicating telepathically, sharing their individual stories and struggles. Rachel's eyes widened as she realized that this man was someone she could trust, despite his magical ability, and that they were fighting the same enemy: evil.

"I'm so sorry," Harry finally said. Tears welled up in Rachel's eyes, but she didn't let them spill. She simply nodded and looked away.

Using his finger, Harry pulled her chin up so he could see her face. His caring and understanding gaze was for Rachel unbearable. She smiled and wrapped her arms around this stranger, for a moment feeling completely safe.

"Who are you, really?" she asked as they parted. Her eyes were shining.

He laughed. "No one important enough for you to wonder about."

Rachel must have seen me roll my eyes as his modesty, because she let out a giggle. It was the first time I had heard her laugh since I visited the Rollins' house about four days ago, and it was probably the most beautiful sound I had heard in a long time.

The creak of the front door opening and Mrs. Black's screams ended the serene moment and brought all three of us back to reality. Pulling out my wand defensively, I turned to see a purple-haired Tonks hanging up a coat on the rack by the front door. She closed the curtains over Mrs. Black and swiftly entered the kitchen. She knew that something was wrong; if it wasn't something serious, Harry would no doubt have been back at the house a long time ago.

As she passed me, she squeezed my shoulders and flashed a sweet smile. Upon seeing Rachel, she stopped and placed her hands on her hips, looking at Harry inquisitively.

"So, Harry," she said, her eyes twinkling. "Am I to be a babysitter?"

"More of a guardian," Harry said, trying to stifle a laugh. "This is Rachel Rollins, Hermione's sister-in-law. We need someone to watch over her while Hermione and I take care of some business."

Tonks' eyes flickered to me, then went straight back to Harry. It was understood that he was the head of the Order, and when he gave a direct order, it was to be obeyed, no questions asked.

"Anything else?" she asked, smiling at Rachel.

Harry glanced at the young 16-year-old. She was shaking once again, unsure of what was going to happen to her.

"Be a good friend to her," Harry finally responded.

Tonks' smiled crookedly before adjusting her height and frame to look like a teenager. "Will this do?"

Rachel's eyes were so huge with wonder that the three of us couldn't help but laugh. She began to smile.

"How did you do that?" she asked, leaning forward.

"Oh, I can do more than that," Tonks replied, winking mischievously.

Harry frowned. "Don't _scare _her, Tonks." She responded with the same wink.

As Harry gathered supplies to leave and quickly went home to explain the situation to his wife, I explained everything to Tonks. A look of horror began to grow on Tonks' face as I told her of all we had been through in the past couple of weeks. She wrapped me in an embrace, and I felt the comfort of true friendship run through my body.

As we pulled apart, I heard Rachel clear her throat. "Um…Hermione, do you think I could talk to you alone?"

"Sure," I responded, a bit puzzled. "Let's go upstairs. Be down in a minute, Tonks."

We headed into one of the many bedrooms, and I closed the door behind the two of us. "What's up, Rachel?"

She sighed. There was obviously something very wrong, but she was extremely reluctant to share it with me. "Are you still wondering about my cut?"

"You bet I am," I responded, leaning against the bedpost. "Why don't we sit down?"

"That's okay," she replied quickly. "I…I don't want to keep you long."

I looked into her eyes, seeing that there was something that was _really _troubling her. "Rachel, you can take as long as you need to."

She exhaled slowly before meeting my gaze. "I wasn't in the house when the Death Eaters were there. I came in after it had already been set on fire."

I blinked, but pretended to be unsurprised. I could tell it was important that she share this story with someone.

"Friday morning, Katie told the family she was going on a camping trip somewhere high in the mountains," Rachel started nervously. "I asked her if I could come with her, and my parents pushed her to let me. She reluctantly brought me with her, but almost as soon as we got there she said she had someplace to be that I couldn't go."

I caught my breath. I knew what this was leading to, but I wasn't going to interrupt her.

"Well, I…I followed her. See, lately, Katie's changed…Mom and Dad thought she was getting involved with drugs, but I never thought that…" she sighed. "I just wanted to help her! I didn't know what was really going on!"

She covered her face with her hands. Immediately I took her fragile body in my arms and tried to help her fight the tears.

"I got captured and taken to the main chamber before she even noticed I was behind her. When she saw me there, she was absolutely furious! She told them to let me go, that I had nothing to do with their arrangement, but the leader said that he would keep me as a bargaining chip. She tried to grab me, but they all pointed their sticks at her and she starting twitching on the ground, screaming…"

I felt Rachel's body shudder. The sight of the Cruciartus Curse, especially to someone who was already scared or didn't know what was going on, is one of the most harrowing sights someone can see in their lifetime. No doubt it was a horror she hadn't expected to confront that night.

"She told them they'd double-crossed her, that they had stepped over the boundaries of their deal. They laughed at her and pointed their wands at her again. Eventually they let the two of us go, but on a warning: if she didn't get something for them in 24 hours—I don't remember what it was—they told her she'd better kill herself and her family before they got to us, because it would be less painful than what they would do. They even gave her a knife to do it…"

I felt something get caught in my throat. The calmness with which Rachel was telling the story was the most disturbing part of the whole situation. It was as if she had come to terms with it, although I knew for a fact she hadn't.

"When we got out of the cave, I…I started yelling at her. I was scared and I didn't understand what was happening or why, or what the deal was she had made with them. She was walking in front of me, and finally got so frustrated and annoyed with me that she whirled around, screaming at me to shut up. Her arm flew out, and the knife was in her hand…"

She didn't have to explain the rest. I could see the scene playing out in my mind, the knife cutting through the air, unknowingly hitting flesh…

"What did you do?" I asked softly.

"I ran away from her," she said, her voice cracking as tears stopped in her throat. "I called her a monster."

I felt a pull at my heart, realizing the guilt this young woman felt. The last thing she had told her sister was that she was a monster, that she hated her.

Against my shoulder, Rachel let out a sob. "Are you going to stop them from hurting anyone else, Hermione?"

I nodded with a newfound determination to succeed. "If it's the last thing I do."

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A/N: How did you like it? Did you love it? Hate it? Let me know! REVIEW!!!!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: So...I'm not sure if anyone is reading this story anymore since it's taken me so long to post, but I have to post anyway. Hopefully someone will read this!

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**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

As I hurried down the stairs, the only thoughts that went through my mind were of Katie and the sad ending she had. I kept imagining how she must have felt as she stared at her sister's horrified face and watched her run away in terror. I felt her shame and frustration as she ran in the other direction, horrified at her own actions and the cruelty she had shown her sister. Then she ran into me, the entire reason she had been there that night, the reason in her mind that her brother was lost to her forever. I was in her mind as she tried to run away from it all, tried to forget all that she had done. Then I had placed my arm around her, trying to comfort her, but instead torturing her. I felt her realization that she still had the knife in her hand, the weapon that had scared her sister. The weapon she would use to solve all of her problems…

"Hermione," Harry said in concern. I had grabbed the banister in panic, reliving that horrible night, finally completely understanding Katie's state of mind. I felt myself sway slightly, as if I was going to pass out.

"You all right?" he asked, placing a comforting arm around me. I wiped the tears from my eyes and nodded.

"Is it about Ron?" he pressed. I caught my breath as I realized the delay I was causing. Katie had already reached her fate, and here I was concerned more for her than my best friend.

But it wasn't for her that I was concerned. It was her sister. I glimpsed her coming out of the bedroom behind me, hiding her face from Harry as she did so. I knew it must have been incredibly hard for her to tell her story, and my heart went out to her. But for now she was safe. There were more important things to think about.

Like Ron.

Ron had been there for me through thick and thin. He was the first person I saw after I learned of my husband's death, and he hadn't left me since. I felt my heart breaking as I thought of how little time he had, and how much of it I had wasted on things that could not be fixed. I thought of the way he had always known what to say, and when to say nothing at all. He knew me so well, better than probably anyone else. I remembered the day after Katie had tried to kill me, his warm embrace, his caring and concerned words. I remembered the way he held me in the cave, trying to calm my emotions and make me feel safe.

I remembered how awkward it had been. Was there any reason that these things should have been awkward? He was a kind and generous friend who was doing everything he could to help me get through this time in my life. There was nothing more to our relationship than friendship, and there never would be. If he had ever felt that way about me, I surely would have known it by now.

I forced those thoughts out of my head. They were too confusing. Right now, the only thing I could afford to do was focus.

I was not going to lose him.

"Let's go," I said to Harry, a newfound determination to succeed coming over me. Not only was it vital that we reach Ron in time, but I was determined to not let these Death Eaters harm one other human being.

"How are we going to find them?" he asked as we ran down the stairs.

"I've already thought of that one," I said, swinging my bag over my shoulder. "We still have some Soul Searching potion left at camp. We should be able to find them easily."

Harry smiled. "Then off we go."

"Hermione?"

I turned to see Rachel standing in the doorway of the kitchen. She had finished crying, but there were still tearstains on her face.

"Yes, Rachel?"

Her face twisted in pain and she ran to wrap me in a tight hug.

"_Be careful_."

I squeezed her tight before pushing her away from me.

"I will. I promise."

She nodded and backed up into the kitchen where Tonks was waiting. She smiled slightly and waved.

"If one of us isn't back in four days," Harry instructed. "Send someone after us. Neville and Luna, perhaps?"

Tonks nodded obediently and turned her attention away from us. "Now, Rachel, what's your favourite kind of animal?"

Rachel shrugged. "A cat, I guess."

I saw Tonks smile and turned away as she transfigured her face into that of a cat. As we walked out the door, I heard Rachel's cries of surprise and joy.

Harry smiled. "I think they're going to get along quite well."

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Finding the Soul Searching potion proved to be harder than we had originally thought. As I said before, the Death Eaters had cleared the campsite of everything, but luckily Ron had thought ahead and hid a few supplies in the surrounding trees. I was not the one who came up with the idea simply because I had been unconscious at the time.

However, he had not shown me exactly where the hidden supplies were. Harry and I searched the trunks of the trees for hollows, the ground for holes, and even climbed a few trees to search at the top (Harry climbed them. I wasn't quite brave enough). After about four hours of searching, Harry finally called out from the other edge of the clearing. I ran to his side to see a mahogany box sitting on the ground.

"It was a disillusionment charm," he said smiling at himself. "I noticed I kept being pushed away from this one certain area, and when I forced myself to enter it, I saw this box just sitting on the ground."

I placed my hand on my hip, panting slightly. "_Brilliant_, Ronald."

It was at that moment I realized just how desperate I was to find him again. I couldn't lose him. After all that he had done for me, if I wasn't able to complete one simple task for him, I would not be able to look at myself in the mirror ever again.

I seized the box and opened the lid, relieved to find that there was still enough Soul Searching potion for it to work properly. I grabbed a vial and drank it in one gulp.

Harry laughed at the expression on my face. "How does it taste?"

I shook my head in disdain. It was like swallowing vomit.

"Ronald Weasley," I said loudly, forcing myself to forget the horrible taste that was in my mouth. Almost immediately a glowing path appeared in front of me, headed north. It was like I was looking at a completely gold rainbow, except it was only visible to me. I had the impulse to try and touch it, but I forced myself to pick up a broom instead. Harry did the same, following me as I took off in the air.

This was perhaps the only time in my life that I had not felt queasy when taking off into the air. I couldn't exactly explain why, but the thought of losing Ron seemed to override any fear I had of heights. He was all that mattered to me at that moment, the highest priority in my life.

When did Ron become so important to me? When did I reach the point that the thought of losing him made me want to die? I had always cared for him, and I didn't want him to be in danger of death by any means, but the feeling I was feeling at that moment was one of pure terror. It almost matched the terror I felt when I saw Nick's body strewn across the floor of our home.

But I hadn't lost Ron yet.

_And I wouldn't._

After what was only about thirty minutes, but what felt like days, I saw the end of the path. It was at another cave much like the one the Death Eaters had been using before. I was keenly aware of the fact that this time we were expected. There would be no way for us to simply sneak in past the guards.

Harry knew that this was the case as well and flew up beside me. "How do we get in?" he asked concerned.

I sighed. "I guess we just have to ring the doorbell."

Harry grimaced. "I'd much rather _not _be brought directly to their new leader without my wand in my possession."

"We could always just kill everyone in our way," I shrugged.

Harry looked at me strangely. "You don't really mean that, do you Hermione?"

I rolled my eyes. "We stun, petrify, everything we do best, and if someone serves as too much of a problem, we get them out of our way however we can. I think saving Ron's life is a bit more important than following the law at this point, Harry."

He shook his head, but he knew I was right. A disillusionment charm would never work; they would sense us coming in. The invisibility cloak was too small to fit both of us, and someone could accidentally step on the edge, exposing us unawares. A polyjuice potion would only last one hour, not giving us nearly enough time to save Ron and his monster of a girlfriend.

Ex-girlfriend.

I smiled to myself as I had that thought. Alia wasn't the most horrible person I had ever met in my life (I had met Voldemort himself), but she was one of the most unpleasant. I was glad that Ron had wised up and would be able to find someone more suitable for him.

If we got there in time.

A wave of panic came over me as we descended. What if we didn't get there in time? What if we too were captured and our wands were taken away?

I forced myself to forget the word failure. If I didn't, I knew that I would indeed fail.

And that was not an option.

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A/N: Well, what did you think? Please _**ReViEw!!!!!**_


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: So, apparently no one is following this anymore...excpet my friends. If you are, please REVIEW!

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**CHAPTER TWELVE**

We landed just out of sight in the trees. I could see the entrance to the cave, as well as the Death Eaters guarding it. I felt an overwhelming rush of hatred as I looked at those filthy, evil masks over their faces. These were the people who had killed my baby. These were the people who had destroyed my perfect life.

They were going to pay.

Slowly and calmly, Harry and I walked up to the entrance. As soon as we were out of the trees, four Death Eaters left the group guarding the entrance and rushed inside to inform their leader we had arrived. The rest stood silently waiting for us to reach them.

"Hello, Mudblood," came a familiar voice from behind the rest of the group. Blaise Zabini walked into view, his mask thrown aside. "I haven't seen you in years! What brings you here today?"

All of the vile creatures chuckled. They knew perfectly well the reasons I was there. I felt blood boil in my veins and Harry took my hand in comfort as well as warning. Now was not the time to let my emotions overpower my actions.

Harry and I stopped about twenty meters away from the cave. Zabini came out to meet us, stopping a few meters ahead of us.

"Where are they?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.

"Ah, so that's why you've come, is it? I thought it might have something to do with your family," Zabini taunted.

I wanted to grab his throat and not let go until he was completely limp. All of my emotions longed for the satisfaction of slowly taking away the life from someone who had taken away everything in my life from me. Had I not previously prepared myself mentally for the evil I was going to face, I am completely convinced that I would have killed him right there and then. Harry again was a great comfort as the Death Eaters laughed horribly, squeezing my hand and silently telling me to keep my emotions hidden for the moment. Besides, I didn't want to give Zabini the satisfaction of knowing he had gotten to me.

"That's enough, Zabini," Harry said, his jaw tight. "What does your leader want?"

"You're going to have to ask him yourself," Zabini responded, shrugging. "He wants to see you. Don't worry, he'll let you keep your wands; two against sixty isn't really a threat."

Again, the Death Eaters behind him chuckled. I wanted to scream. Every fiber of my being wished to violently murder these murderers, to get my revenge. At the moment, that was not a choice. Not if we wanted Ron and Alia to make it out alive.

We began following Zabini into the cave, surrounded on both sides by the monsters. It struck me just how many of them there were—_sixty_ Zabini had said. When Ron had been following them, he had only counted thirty. They had already _doubled _in size? It seemed that killing Voldemort wasn't quite enough.

I felt pain as I realized I had been completely absent from this battle for the last three years. It was for a good reason, and I didn't regret loving Nick and wanting to keep him and Lizzie safe, but it became extremely apparent to me as we walked through those halls that I had deserted my friends. I owed them my service, especially Harry and Ron. I was supposed to be a part of this battle, and I had turned my back on it.

Not that it mattered now. I would still be here, no matter the choices I made three years ago. It was just that I had never imagined the threat would become so serious.

I became vaguely aware that the Death Eaters were continuing to taunt me. I ignored what they said. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Harry's face was slowly turning red in rage. He knew how I felt; he knew what I felt like to lose someone. I knew that subconsciously, he had also taken the deaths of Nick and Lizzie as his own fault. He was convinced that the continuing threat of the Death Eaters was partly his fault, and every person who was hurt by them affected him greatly.

I squeezed his hand and we looked at each other, sharing the pain and burden of this evil we were in the midst of. I saw in his eyes that my conjectures were in fact true; he felt responsible for the deaths of my family members, as well as the Rollins.

"It's not your fault," I whispered so only he could hear. I felt a tear fall slowly down my cheek. "You can't stop all evil."

He wiped the tear from my cheek and shook his head. "No matter whose fault this whole mess is, we're going to clean it up."

Zabini had overheard the conversation, and I saw that he was smirking. I was honestly surprised at how high Zabini had risen within the Death Eaters. He had never been an actual threat and he was never completely twisted or evil. Something had obviously happened to completely change his personality and his very nature.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity we saw light ahead and a large, almost empty cavern opened up in front of us. At the end of the cavern against the wall was a large thrown, on which was sitting the last person I would have thought to be Voldemort's replacement.

"Well if it isn't Mr. Potter and Miss Granger," he said, his lips curving into a twisted smile. "Or shall I say Mrs. Rollins? Which would you prefer, Hermione?"

Harry and I stopped and stared in unbelief at the person in front of us. He slowly stood up and walked toward the center of the room, his arms outstretched.

"What, no hello?" he asked comically. "I thought you would be happy to see me! We were such good friends at Hogwarts! Don't you remember all the fun times we had together, Harry? And Hermione, I still haven't forgotten how powerful of an arm you have."

"_Malfoy?_" I stammered, hardly trusting my eyes.

He smiled. "Thank goodness! I was worried you didn't recognize me! I must admit, Ron had the same reaction."

"Where is he?" asked Harry, trying to overcome the shock. _Malfoy _was their leader? It just didn't fit with his personality! He had always been a coward, not one to be _truly _evil.

"He'll join us by and by," he said, waving off the question with his hand.

"What about Alia?" I asked.

Malfoy laughed, sending shivers down my spine. "I'm surprised you didn't recognize her! She's right behind you!"

I spun around to see Alia looking straight at me, an expression of pain in her face. She wasn't being restrained in any way; in fact, she was wearing a Death Eater robe.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," she said softly, averting her eyes.

I felt rage flow through my entire body. She had betrayed us. She had betrayed _Ron_.

"I thought you loved him!" I screamed, taking one step closer.

She took a step back. "He didn't love me. Not anymore."

My eyes blazed. "So you betrayed him."

I saw tears roll down her cheeks, and I didn't care. She had sold us out to the Death Eaters; she had joined them simply because of jealousy over a relationship that never existed.

Harry placed a hand on my shoulder and slowly guided me away from her. I turned to face Malfoy once more, and he was grinning ear to ear.

"What is it that you want?" asked Harry, his voice slightly strained.

Malfoy shrugged. "It's really very simple, actually. I want the same thing the Dark Lord before me wanted. _Power_."

"What did you ask Katie Rollins to get for you?" I asked.

He raised his eyebrows. "You know about that, do you? Ah, yes, she was the sister of your late husband. Such a very attractive family, you know. I sometimes wish we had kept a few of them alive."

"What did you want her to get for you?" I asked again, my volume increasing.

"Do you know how heroic your husband was?" he said, completely ignoring my question. "I wish he hadn't been a muggle, you know. He would have been a very formidable opponent had he been a wizard. He was determined that we were not going to get into that room, Hermione. He held off a few of us, actually, but unfortunately for him, and your daughter, we are much more powerful than mere muggles."

"Shut up," Harry screamed, putting his arm around my waist as I shook. "We didn't come here to listen to you gloat. We came to make a deal."

He laughed menacingly. "A _deal_? Very well, Potter, we'll make a deal."

Suddenly, someone seized Harry and pulled him away from the center of the room. I scrambled for my wand to find that it had been taken from my pocket while I wasn't paying attention. I cursed myself for carelessness and wildly turned to face Malfoy, his wand pointing at my heart. I heard someone scream my name and looked around until my eyes landed on Ron, who was standing on the opposite side of the cavern. He had been tortured badly enough that I could see the bruises from where I was standing. Our eyes met and I felt an overwhelming fear encompass me. My heart was drawn out to him; I wanted nothing more than to run to his side, to feel him and know for certain that he was still alive.

Ron's eyes moved to Harry in shock, then back to mine, questioning why we didn't bring any back up. I knew he felt he wasn't worth the attempt at rescue, but I also knew he was wrong.

I felt someone seize my arm and turned my head to see Malfoy's face just inches away from mine. His eyes were dark and cold, completely unfeeling. He had changed, and I couldn't understand how or why.

He pressed the tip of his wand against my throat and I held my breath in anticipation. I knew he was going to kill me, and afterwards he would kill Harry and Ron. We had no defense. There was nothing to be done about it all.

"Listen to me carefully," he whispered slyly. "You have five hours to acquire three objects for me. I have no doubt you know where these objects are, or that you at least can find out."

I knew exactly what he was talking about and felt my heartbeat increase in panic. I _couldn't _just give them to him; I would be handing over almost immeasurable power to the Death Eaters.

"If you're not back in five hours, they both die," he threatened, his wand pressing deeper into my throat. "If you are, and you give me these items, I'll let the two of them go."

I could hardly breathe. "And what about me?"

He smiled wickedly. "I figured you'd want to join your dear husband and daughter, wouldn't you? Although, it does seem a pity, wasting the beauty you have grown into."

"If I do as you ask," I said, my heart racing uncontrollably at this point. "You'll have to let them go before I give you these items. In fact, I won't even bring them all here, and until I am confident that Harry and Ron are safe, I won't lead you to them."

"You've always been extremely intelligent, Hermione, I'll give you that," he said, chuckling. He then raised his voice so Harry and Ron could hear. "Very well, Mrs. Rollins. I accept your terms. You have five hours starting now."

He thrust my wand into my hand and backed away from me quickly. "Don't waste any time, now!" he said, smiling evilly.

I took a moment to meet Ron's eyes, and then Harry's. Both were extremely confused, and I didn't have time to explain things to either of them.

Feeling adrenaline pound through my body, I turned my back on my friends and ran out of the room at breakneck speed. All of the Death Eaters just stood there, laughing and mocking me. Memories of my daughter flooded my brain, followed my images of her father, grandparents, and even her aunts. I had let all of them down, but I was _not _going to let Harry and Ron down.

No matter what happened to me, they would be safe.

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A/N: Hope you liked it! REVIEW if you're reading this to tell me what you thought!!!


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Thanks to those that reviewed my last chapter! I'm happy to know that my fanfic is still being followed by some!

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**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

I knew someone was following me before I even heard their footsteps. Just as I passed outside of the cave, I whirled around to face my pursuer.

Alia stopped, panting, her arms slightly raised as if in surrender. "Hermione, I just wanted to talk."

I forced myself to forget my feelings and just walk away. I didn't have any time to lose, and I wasn't going to waste the little time I had left on her.

"Wait, Hermione! Let me explain!" she called after me.

"There's nothing to explain!" I responded, surprised by the hoarseness of my own voice.

"I didn't know what I was doing—"

"YOU KNEW PERFECTLY WELL WHAT YOU WERE DOING!" I screamed in frustration, turning sharply to face her. She stared at me with frightened eyes, but I didn't care. She had lost my respect in all forms of the word.

"I understand what you were thinking," I sneered. "You wanted me out of the way. You felt that I was the reason Ron decided he didn't love you."

"That's not it at all—"

"You wanted me dead! Just like everybody does!" I shouted, tears falling down my face. "You wanted me dead simply because I cared about someone, and they cared about me too!"

My thoughts turned to my dear husband and his sister. Both Katie and Alia had decided to sacrifice their integrity and loyalty in order to get rid of _me. _It was like I was a disease, incurable and untraceable. Somehow, I escaped all attempts at capture, while everyone I interacted with became infected and suffered the consequences that should have been mine. I had set out in a blind rage, hoping to redeem myself and be victorious over the people who had cost me so much pain.

But I had lost. There was nothing, no one left but me. They were all gone.

_And it was all my fault_.

Alia knew I was right. She knew perfectly well what she had been feeling as she sought out the Death Eaters.

"I have nothing more to say to you," I whispered menacingly. The hatred in my voice was absolutely shocking. I honestly could not understand why someone would sink so low to betray the ones they loved.

As I turned to walk away, her voice stopped me.

"He loves you, you know. He always has."

"Merlin, Alia, when are you going to let him go!" I yelled. "There's no way he'd _ever _take you back now!"

Her voice shook as she spoke, "I have let him go."

"Apparently! You sold him out!"

"If the two of you survive this," she started, ignoring my comments. "Don't discard him. He wants nothing but for you to love him."

Deciding I wasn't going to waste any more time, I turned my back on her definitively and ran into the woods to find my broom. She didn't try to call me back.

I didn't want to admit it, but something about what she had said had affected me deeply. I thought back to the way Ron had changed, how he wasn't the immature friend I had always known any more. His first and only concern over the past few weeks had been my happiness and well being. Was it really such an absurd idea that he _did _love me?

He _couldn't_! I would have known by now! He would have actually flirted with me while we were in school; maybe he would have even asked me to the Yule Ball as his first pick, and not as a last resort. He would have been more opposed to my marriage to Nick, and he probably would _not _have agreed to be the best man.

But then again…

He was _always _against my relationship with Nick, from the very beginning. He even made up excuses during those two summers for me to _not _be the one to gather groceries. He had seemed extremely jealous of Viktor while I dated him, changing from devoted fan to almost arch enemy in a way, and we had always been close enough to joke about our relationship—but it _couldn't _have ever been more than a joke!

Yet, something in my heart told me that it _was_, and I just hadn't seen it.

Ron _did _love me—he was _always _there for me, and he only wanted me to be happy. The way that he held me in his arms the night Nick and Lizzie died, after Katie tried to kill me, in the cave…

As I took off on my broom, I let out a scream in pain and frustration. He would never try to take Nick's place, _especially _right after he died! He would _never _overstep his boundaries as a friend and comforter, especially during this emotional time for me. He knew I wasn't looking for a new husband, or any other type of romantic relationship.

_But it had still happened_.

Every member of my body seemed to be screaming at me, telling me to stop thinking about it, but I couldn't. I had let him hold me, had welcomed the feelings that my body responded with. I had invited him to show his emotions freely, but I hadn't understood them. I had felt comfort, but somehow I had always known it was more than that.

After flying for only a few moments, I landed as the truth began to sink in. The inexplicable feelings I had felt weren't so strange to me at all—I had felt them often, but the circumstances had forced my brain to conceal their true meaning. I placed my broom against a tree and let myself fall to the ground, shaking violently with my tears.

_I had fallen in love with him_.

How it had happened, I didn't know. As far as I knew, the feelings had always been there. When I saw him with Lavender Brown in our sixth year, I hadn't been able to explain what I felt then either. I had attributed my actions to a genuine dislike for Lavender, which existed, but not to the extent of my actions. I now realized I had been acting out of jealousy.

Memories began flooding my brain, showing me the truth of my thoughts. I hadn't recognized it because some portion of my brain hadn't wanted me to believe it. I had buried the emotion to the point that I had forgotten it ever existed. Ron hadn't been trying to make me love him, he was just trying to be a friend and hide his true emotions. He knew that wasn't what I wanted right now, that the thought was completely inconceivable. I wasn't ready to replace Nick.

_Merlin, I love him!_

Shaking my head in confusion and disbelief, I looked at my watch. Thirty minutes had passed. I needed to put aside my feelings and focus on saving him and Harry. If I stood here thinking about things that I didn't quite understand, there was no way I was going to return with the Hallows in time. I knew Harry had hid them and told no one but Ginny their location, but they were also guarded with spells, making the task more difficult.

I had flown far away enough from the Death Eaters location to now be able to apparate. Forgetting the broom, I did so and appeared in front of the Potter's cottage. Mrs. Weasley ran out of the door almost the moment I appeared, her expression stressed.

"Oh, Hermione, thank goodness! Ginny's been so worried—"

"There's no time, Mrs. Weasley," I responded quickly. "I need to talk to Ginny alone."

Mrs. Weasley's eyes widened in fear. "Is Harry all right, Hermione?"

"He will be," I responded, walking past her to meet Fleur in the doorway.

"She's right through here," Fleur said, hurrying me into the Potter's master bedroom. Ginny sat in the bed, holding a beautiful baby boy in her lap. He had striking black hair and bright blue eyes which stared at me in wonder as I entered. Fleur swiftly closed the door behind me as Ginny sat up slightly.

"What's happened?" she asked softly. I could barely imagine the stress she was experiencing. She had been so happy this morning, but at this moment she wasn't sure what to feel.

"Where did Harry hide the Hallows?" I asked, deciding not to waste any time. The little boy kept his eyes on me, not making any fuss or noise, just curiously watching this stranger in his world.

Ginny inhaled slowly. "They have him, then?"

"Harry's gotten out of tougher situations before," I said reassuringly. "He just needs a little help sometimes."

Ginny sighed, her breathing uneven. "Will you hold him?"

I nodded and took the newborn into my arms as she got out of bed. Still, he did not make any sort of protest to being out of his mother's arms.

As I looked into the child's eyes, I felt a mix of sadness and elation. I remembered the first day I had held my darling Lizzie, her innocent curiosity of the world and the undying faith in me that I could see in her eyes. I felt she had known me just as well the day she was born as the last day I saw her a year later. There was a connection, something unbreakable between mother and child. I felt silent tears join the others stained on my face and didn't bother wiping them off. The youngest Potter smiled and reached up his hand, feeling my face tenderly. I let out a quick gasp and felt once again all the love I had for my daughter in this baby. I wasn't pulled out of my trance until Ginny returned to the room with a small notebook and the invisibility cloak.

"The locations of the others are in here," she said urgently, placing it at my side and retrieving her son from my arms. "The puzzles aren't anything you can't solve. How long do you have?"

I looked at my watch. "Just over four hours."

Ginny breathed heavily and shook her head as I started to stand.

"I'm not ready to be a widow," she whispered.

"You won't be," I responded, slightly louder than I had intended to. The baby's eyes widened and he looked in my direction.

I turned and began walking through the door, but stopped.

"What's his name?" I asked.

Ginny smiled and looked tenderly at her son. "James Nicholas."

I felt my tears start returning to the surface. I knew the significance of both names, and felt an overwhelming love for my dear friends.

"Be careful," Ginny warned, her face once again looking desperate.

Unable to respond, I simply nodded, then hurried out of the house. She deserved the happy ending I lost, and I was going to make sure she didn't lose hers.

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A/N: Well? What's the verdict? Wonderful? Horrible? If you don't tell me, I'll never know! **_ReViEw!!!_**


	14. Chapter 14

**DISCLAIMER: **So there's this guy...he's kind of cute, and kind of funny...he's also really strong and caring, and a really good friend...he has red hair and bright blue eyes...Oh, you know him?...TOO BAD! HE'S MINE!!

A/N: For those of you who read the last chapter, can I just say that that was an amazing chapter to write? I've been waiting for her to realize the truth for FOREVER!

And, no, I do _not _have control over when she does, actually. It had to come at a time that was natural, and I just _wrote_--I didn't plan it. So, for her to finally realize it was such a relief!

Anyway, enjoy the next chapter!

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**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

I knew the clock was ticking. There were so many muddled thoughts going through my brain, but I knew now was not the time for me to try and sort through them. As I traveled through the air on broomstick, racing to the first destination, I had to force myself to concentrate on the task at hand, and not the undeniable and unbelievable truth that I was facing. The truth that I had unconsciously replaced my husband less than a month after his death.

Shaking my head in frustration, I reassessed my location and realized that I was closer than I had originally thought. I landed shortly, and looking at my watch, saw that I now had less than four hours left.

The first Hallow I was trying to retrieve was the Elder Wand. I decided to get this one first due to the mere fact that it was closer. When I reached the ground, I stared silently at the great house before me, the house where so much had been lost to a one-year-old boy, where his life had been altered forever, consequently altering many others.

Including mine.

The streets of Godric's Hollow were silent as I ascended the steps of the Potter's old home. It was exactly as I remembered it from years before when Harry and I had come here. Remembering the experience, I shivered, but I knew that there was nothing evil inside this house anymore.

The door opened easily, only slightly creaking as its old, forgotten hinges turned. I looked around the room cautiously before stepping inside.

Actually, I sort of _fell _inside, and soon I couldn't see the room at all. Looking up, I saw that a trap door had been triggered by my stepping on top of it and, as I was looking through it, it slowly fell shut. For the moment, I was trapped.

I sighed in frustration, lighting up my wand as I did so. I was in a long narrow room with a small doorway at the end. As I moved closer, I thought I glimpsed something moving out of the corner of my eye. I spun around, lighting up everything around me, but there was nothing that I could see.

Deciding that I was being paranoid, I continued my journey to the door. I became slowly aware that the air around me was getting colder, that my thoughts were becoming increasingly desperate and fearful, that my wand was losing its light…

"Expecto Patronum!" I said instinctively. The light from my wand increased as I turned around, penetrating every corner of the room. The Dementor escaped through the same trap door I had fallen into, fleeing from my Patronus.

"Nice choice of guardian, Harry," I mumbled sarcastically. If someone fell into this chamber unawares, and was not equipped to battle a Dementor, the loss of their soul would be on Harry's hands. In addition to this, anyone who was actually _looking _for the Elder Wand would be more than able to fight off a Dementor.

I turned to face the door once more and realized that the Dementor was just a distraction. A huge mountain troll was running towards me from behind; I hadn't seen him in the shadows and I hadn't heard him start in my direction. Before I could respond to his advance, I was in the air, dangling upside down by one foot. The troll started jerking me around and raised his club, obviously deciding to use me to practice his aim.

I automatically flung my body upward, his club missing me by inches. He stumbled and his hold on my leg loosened. Taking advantage of the opportunity, I pointed my wand at his hand and it started swelling quickly. Making a sort of yelping noise, he abruptly released his hold and I began tumbling to the ground. At the last second I was able to slow my fall with my wand, preventing me from breaking anything, despite the force with which I hit the ground. Groaning, I rolled onto my back just soon enough to see the troll's hand reaching for me again. I sent a stinging curse his way as I rolled out of reach. The troll roared in pain, obviously enraged. I scrambled to my feet and just missed his hand once more.

"Petrificus Totalus!" I chanted in desperation. The troll was immediately lying on his back, motionless.

I leaned against the wall, panting in exhaustion. _Clever_, I thought to myself. The Dementor would completely throw people off, making them unprepared for the troll. The mountain troll wasn't a particularly hard creature to defeat, but if one was taken off guard it was very likely that they would get their head bashed in.

I slowly made my way over to the door and pulled it open. A devil's snare was engulfing some sort of case in the middle of the room. With a flick of my wand, the devil's snare retreated into the shadows and I snatched the case from the center. A broom was sitting against the wall, obviously there to provide a way of escape, and after grabbing that as well I left the smaller room to reenter the first chamber I had been in. As the troll behind me began to stir, I took off on the broom and was soon soaring above the lights of Godric's Hollow.

After traveling for a few minutes, I landed and opened the box I had obtained. Inside there was nothing but a note. Groaning in frustration, I closed the case once more.

"Thanks, Harry," I mumbled.

At least now I actually knew where it was. I also knew that it was in a place where I could safely keep it hidden until I led Malfoy to it.

_Until I led Malfoy to it…_

I couldn't _believe _that I had actually agreed to give him the Deathly Hallows! He wouldn't know how to use them, granted, but if he did learn, there would be high consequences. But surely Harry and Ron would stop him before it could get too far. Especially after they found out what happened to me…

I realized as I ascended into the air once more just how devastated both of them would be by my death. They would stop at nothing to defeat the Death Eaters, bringing in all the power in people and magic that they had access to. I thought of the pain Ron would feel if he lost me, the look in his eyes the night he almost did. He had lost me once to Nick, and if he lost me to death…

Silently, I prayed that somehow, he would never find out. I prayed that he would think I had just disappeared or that I had found a new place to live quietly and peacefully. I didn't want to hurt him; he had suffered enough pain, just as I had. Yet I knew that he would know—he would know I was dead, because if I wasn't, I wouldn't be able to keep myself away from him.

I started to sob as I flew towards my next destination. _Why _was I feeling this way? It wasn't _natural _for someone to accept someone else so readily, especially after losing a person they had so deeply loved. I felt trapped by my emotions—I couldn't accept Ron, because that would be completely turning my back on my husband and daughter, forgetting about all they had given me and all the love I had for them. At the same time, I _couldn't _deny Ron—it was physically impossible. When I thought of his arms around me, everything just seemed to _right_, but it was all wrong! This was not how it was meant to be for either of us!

_Why did everything have to be so hard!_

I looked at my watch again, realizing that I needed to be watching the clock. I gasped as I saw that I only had two and a half hours left. I had apparently taken my time at Godric's Hollow.

Panicking, I scanned the ground. I sighed in relief as I recognized the familiar castle looming on the horizon. Hogwarts wasn't any different than it had been three years ago. I had sent a note ahead using Harry and Ginny's owl, Peverall, telling Professor McGonagall that I was going to be visiting. She was waiting for me at the front door of the castle when I landed.

"I haven't seen you for years, Miss Gra—I mean, Mrs. Rollins," she said, smiling slightly. "I was sorry to hear about your husband. Now, what is all this fuss about?"

I explained the situation to her, though not fully, as we walked through the halls to the second floor girl's bathroom. I didn't tell her what I was retrieving, or the time limit that was placed on me, but she understood the urgency.

Just as we were about to enter the bathroom, I saw Neville turn the corner, running as fast as he could. He stopped right in front of us, panting.

"Madam Hooch told me she saw you," he breathed, smiling as he met my eyes. "I figured that the Hermione I knew wouldn't come to Hogwarts without letting me know unless it was an emergency."

"You were right," I said, entering the unused lavatory. He followed me inside, but Professor McGonagall remained in the hall, insisting that she had other duties to attend to and was sure I could handle myself.

"How's Luna?" I asked, trying to distract myself from the urgency of the situation as I looked for the hidden snake.

"Fine," he replied, watching me quizzically. "She misses you."

I smiled painfully. "Tell her I'll visit her when I get the chance."

It wasn't a lie, either. If I survived this somehow, I was determined I would make sure all of my friends knew I hadn't deserted them. I was no longer going to hide from danger—I was going to fight.

Suddenly, I recognized the symbol of a snake on one of the sinks. I sighed in relief, and tried to remember how Ron had done it in on that glorious day that Voldemort was killed.

"Need some help?" Neville asked, coming to my side. He had been told all about the Chamber and knew most of its secrets, and he was obviously anxious to help.

I shook my head. "It might be better if you leave, Neville. I only have one broom."

Truth was, I didn't want to get Neville involved at all. Everyone else I had interacted with had been killed or else they were in extreme danger. I didn't need to add one more person to the list of people who's lives I had destroyed.

I was aware of the fact that Neville did not move from his position, but there was too much at stake for me to spend time trying to get him to leave. I began shaping my mouth into strange formations, while trying to imitate the sound I had heard Ron make years ago. After what felt like ages, the Chamber finally began to open. I sighed in relief.

"It's been nice talking to you, Neville," I said, picking my broom up from the floor.

He gently grabbed my wrist, and I turned to look at him. He shook his head. "Whatever's going on, Hermione, you don't have to do this alone."

I sighed, wishing he could understand. "I _do _Neville. Trust me."

He slowly let go of my arm and backed away. As I prepared to descend, he uttered the phrase I had heard so many times from so many different people in the past few days:

"Be careful."

I responded mechanically, not really meaning what I was saying.

"I will."

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A/N: What did you think? What stood out to you? Was it good? Was it bad? Was it so-so? Let me know! **_ReViEw!!!_**


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: I'm getting reviews! Yay! You can't imagine how happy that makes me!

FYI, this is my favourite chapter in this story (there are two more chapters, but I've finished writing it.) So I'm really anxious to hear what you guys have to say. REVIEW!

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**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

Even though I hadn't accompanied Ron and Harry into the Chamber of Secrets during our second year, I had seen enough during our last year of Hogwarts to know my way around. The main chamber was the same one the Basilisk had fallen in, the same place Ron and I had gone to destroy the remaining horcruxes during that fateful battle. Luckily for me, I remembered the way through the maze of pipes. Still, when I finally glimpsed the dead snake on the floor, I breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at my watch, my heart beat faster when I realized I now had only one hour forty-five minutes left.

Entering the chamber, I saw only one difference between this room three years ago and now: at the opposite side of the room, there was a wardrobe, and it was shaking. I immediately knew that there was a boggart inside, and I again wondered at Harry's choice of protection. Then again, there were hardly any people who would be able to get into this chamber to begin with—the protection didn't have to be absolutely complete.

I hurried across the room, wholly aware of the ticking of my watch. When I was a few feet away, I opened the door with my wand, ready to shout 'Ridikulus' the moment the boggart came into view. Instead, I dropped my wand and screamed.

Slouched in the back of the wardrobe was Ron's dead corpse, bleeding and scarred. His eyes were staring straight at mine, completely blank and glossed over. His mouth was slightly open, and there was a knife protruding out of his chest, right over his heart.

Shaking, I fell to the ground where my wand was. I tried to think of a way to make the situation humorous, but couldn't. I covered my eyes in an attempt to put it out of my mind, but the image was burned on the inside of my eyelids. I started sobbing, trying to remind myself that it wasn't real, that Ron was still alive for over an hour.

I slowly opened my eyes as I picked up my wand. The body was still there, eerily still and silent. I envisioned the horrible thing dressed up as a ballet dancer and shouted the spell, averting my eyes. When I finally looked back, the image was gone, and a doorway in the back of the wardrobe had appeared.

Still shaking, I grabbed the knob and turned it, entering a completely different room altogether. In the middle of the room was the Mirror of Erised, sitting completely unguarded. The door behind me closed and disappeared as I approached the mirror. I knew, judging from the past, that the Resurrection Stone was probably inside the mirror, much as the Philosopher's Stone had been so many years ago. I stood in front of the mirror and gasped at the sight that I saw.

In the mirror I saw myself holding a gorgeous baby girl with bright red hair. Behind me was Ron, smiling with his arm around my shoulder. I turned and smiled at him as well, then redirecting my gaze to the child in my arms.

Backing away from the mirror, I was slightly disturbed by the image I saw. I had already admitted to myself the fact that I loved Ron, but I wasn't even remotely ready to start a new relationship after all that had happened, and I didn't _want _one! There had to be a flaw in the mirror; if anything, my greatest desire was to have _Nick_ behind me and _Lizzie _in my arms, not a child that I didn't even know.

Rubbing my forehead and closing my eyes, I forced myself to think of nothing but the Resurrection Stone. It was the key to saving Harry and Ron. Without it, the two of them would die.

When I looked at the mirror again, I saw only myself, dressed exactly as I was that day. I was holding the stone, and I smiled and placed it in my back pocket. A door appeared at the opposite end of the room, and I felt something materialize in the same pocket the me in the mirror had deposited the stone into. I sighed, realizing that I now had, or at least could easily get, all of the Hallows. I went through the new door and emerged in the Forbidden Forest, far away from school grounds. Looking at my watch, I saw that I still had an hour to find a hiding place for the stone, and sighed in relief. I was going to bring the cloak immediately to Malfoy to prove that I had accomplished what he asked.

Exhausted, I sat on the ground as my watch read midnight. In the distance I heard a bell chime twelve times, and realized that I was now twenty-two years old. I was much too young to be a widow.

With excitement, I pulled the Resurrection Stone from my back pocket. Was it true that with this stone you could communicate with the dead? Could I possibly see Nick and Lizzie again?

I nervously turned the stone over in my hands three times, and waited. After a few moments of anticipation, I saw two figures appearing in front of me. First was my darling little girl, and then I saw her father. I felt tears reach my eyes as they both smiled.

"Hi, Mommy!" said Lizzie. She both looked and sounded a little older than she had been when she died. "Happy Birthday!"

I laughed through my tears and slowly met my deceased husband's eyes.

"I miss you," I whispered.

He shook his head. "Don't worry about us, Hermione. Focus on yourself."

In that moment, it seemed to me that he was looking deep into my soul. I felt a rush of panic as I realized he _knew_—there was no way he couldn't know the thoughts that had been pouring through my brain. Did he feel betrayed? Was he angry? Or was he just sad that I had dismissed him so quickly?

As if in response to my thoughts, Nick smiled and again shook his head. "You deserve to be happy, Hermione."

"How can I?" I asked, standing to feel closer to them. "I shouldn't be feeling like this—"

"Yes, you should," he responded. "Love is a natural and powerful thing. You can't deny it, Hermione. Don't try to."

"But what about you?" I breathed.

He smiled lovingly. "I'm just glad I was able to spend a few years of my life with you," he gazed with happiness at his daughter beside him. "But you were never truly mine."

"I love you," I insisted. He silently shook his head.

"I know you did," he said softly. "But I should never have forced you to give up a part of yourself. It wasn't right of me. I see that now."

I couldn't respond because of my tears. He took a step closer, and then hesitated.

"You deserve someone who can love _every _part of you, Hermione."

I sighed, feeling his love envelope me, even though we were parted forever. He smiled sadly and stepped back once more.

"Follow your heart," he said slowly before vanishing in front of my eyes.

Lizzie stayed a little longer, smiling and running around in circles. After a moment, she turned to me seriously.

"Mommy, you have to go," she said quite articulately. "You don't have a lot of time."

I realized the truth of what she had said as she disappeared as well. I had been there for a half hour, leaving me that same amount of time to hide the stone and return to the Death Eaters. Looking around frantically, I spied a hollow in a tree close by and placed the stone inside, lingering for a moment before taking off.

However much I wanted to deny it, I knew Nick was right. To some extent, I needed to move on and continue to live my life here without him. I saw what he meant about someone loving all of me, and even though I didn't regret the time I spent with him, I felt a huge weight lift off of my shoulders. Ron _did _love all of me.

And I loved all of him.

I unconsciously began to fly faster as I thought about him. He needed to know before I died—he had the right to know. My love had always been hidden to the point that I myself wasn't able to recognize it. It was time that it was acknowledged and accepted.

_I love Ronald Weasley!_

I felt my heart jump as I let my emotions run loose. I truly did love him! There was no way for me to deny that now. All the feelings I had been feeling came back to me in one huge wave, filling my heart with immense joy and sorrow. Yes, he _had _to know—if he felt at all about me that way I felt about him, the last memory he had of me needed to be one that he would never forget.

Ten minutes were left on my timer when I saw the opening of the cave in front of me. I practically jumped off of my broom, leaving it lying on the ground as I rushed to the entrance. There was no one guarding it this time—no doubt they were all waiting in the main room.

Just as I had expected, all sixty Death Eaters were gathered in the room when I entered. I stopped, panting, in the middle of the room. Malfoy looked at his watch and smiled.

"I thought you weren't going to make it, Mrs. Rollins!" he said, smirking. "Such a pity. Now I have to let your friends go."

I saw Harry and Ron standing together out of the corner of my eye. Every part of me wanted to run to him, to tell him how I felt, to let him know that he was not the only one fighting with his emotions. I heard him call my name as the Death Eaters started forcing him and Harry out of the cave.

"Wait!" I screamed.

Everyone halted, and Malfoy eyed me curiously.

"Let me say goodbye," I whispered.

He smirked and nodded his head to Harry and Ron's escorts. I turned and ran to them, reading concern in each of their faces.

I hugged Harry first, holding on tighter than I ever thought I would. He undoubtedly understood what was happening, even if Ron didn't. As I pulled away from him, I read in his eyes that he was pleading for me not to go through with it. I knowingly shook my head.

"James is beautiful," I whispered, smiling through my tears. I saw that I had touched Harry deeply, and despite his unwillingness he smiled.

I turned to Ron, his eyes filled with fear. As I looked into those eyes, I felt as if my emotions had spun out of control.

"Hermione—" he started.

I shook my head and wrapped my arms around him, involuntarily putting my lips against his. I felt as if I had sent my emotions into overload as he suddenly pulled me closer to him. My heart beat faster than I think it ever had before; we were like one person, almost inseparable. It was so _natural_—neither of us was thinking about what we were doing; we were just _existing _there in each others arms.

Someone violently pulled the two of us apart. Ron stared at me in shock, but quickly overcame it as he was being pulled away.

"Hermione, no!" he yelled, trying to free himself from the Death Eaters. His eyes were filled with confusion and longing, as well as the fear that had been in them before.

"I love you, Ron," I responded, realizing that I, too, was being restrained. Ron's eyes widened, and he disappeared from view.

I felt the last tear that I had drop from my cheek onto the floor.

"_I love you_."

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A/N: Well? How was it? What did you think? Was it good? Was it bad? This is really repetitive of my other notes, isn't it? Just review!!


	16. Chapter 16

**DISCLAIMER: **The only person who makes an appearance in this chapter who does belong to me is Alia. Everyone else is the property of Ms. Rowling. Now the next chapter...well, there's a certain red-head she cannot take away from me.

A/N: Sorry this took a while to load up! I've been extremely busy and have started working on my new fic, 'Kissed By Death'. I'm really excited about it and it's going good so far, so please read it if you enjoy my stuff! It's a bit experimental, and I'm not quite sure how it will turn out, but that's why we publish fanfiction, isn't it? To get feedback!

Enjoy this chapter! Not long now...

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**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

"Well, wasn't that touching?"

I had stopped struggling. I stared off into the distance at where Ron had been. That was the last time I was ever going to see him. Those were the last words he would ever hear out of my mouth.

They were the perfect words.

All around me, the Death Eaters were cackling, calling me all sorts of horrible names, but I didn't care. All that mattered was that now he _knew_—however confused he was, he would never wonder about my feelings for him.

I glimpsed Alia in the crowd. Her eyes were watery, but she was trying not to show it. Surprisingly enough, she did not glare at me or seem angry in any way—just sad.

I gasped as I was turned around forcefully by Malfoy. He smiled wickedly and curled a lock of my hair around his finger. I shivered in disgust.

"Since you seem to have forgotten your poor husband," he said, smirking. "why don't you just kiss me too?"

As he aggressively moved in, my arm flew up and my fist met his nose with the greatest amount of force I could muster. He staggered backward, and I saw sixty pairs of wands immediately pointed in my direction.

Malfoy laughed. "Relax, everyone," he said, his eyes bright. "She's just trying to help me remember old times, aren't you, Hermione?"

I scowled at him. He had become a creature that I could not comprehend in any sort of way. I felt the blood rushing through my veins and had to restrain myself from punching him again.

His hand fell from his face, revealing a satisfyingly broken nose that was bleeding profusely. He must have seen my grin, because he laughed yet again.

"How did that feel, Mrs. Rollins?"

"Exhilarating," I replied.

"Good," he said loudly. "Now that you're in such a good mood, would you be willing to lead us to the items I asked you to get for me?"

"Here's the first one," I said, fetching the invisibility cloak from my purse and throwing it in his direction. It fell silently on the floor, and no one moved to pick it up. He smiled, obviously getting excited.

"Zabini, pick it up," he commanded, and the other responded immediately. "I'd rather not get any blood on it."

I watched as my first bargaining chip was placed into the hands of the enemy. One of the Death Eaters entered carrying a bowl filled with water and a small towel. Malfoy walked over to him and because cleaning the blood off of his face and hands.

"You certainly haven't changed, Hermione," he said mockingly.

"You have," I responded, still glaring at him. "The Draco Malfoy I knew would _never _have had the power or the guts to lead the Death Eaters, especially with his father around. Where is he anyway?"

His cheerful, sarcastic manner ended, and he practically ran to my side, seizing my arm and pulling my face inches away from his. His eyes were ice cold, filled with anger and contempt.

"_Never _think for one _second _that my _father _could have defeated _me _in a duel!" he sneered.

I inhaled sharply. "You killed him," I said in understanding.

His sarcastic manner returned, and he cackled at the surprised look on my face. "You really didn't think that I, the _coward _Draco Malfoy would be able to kill anyone, did you?"

"What changed?" I asked. I was no longer afraid of him. He wasn't going to kill me until he got all three Hallows. "Are you saying you could have killed Dumbledore yourself all along? Or are you denying the fact that you almost accepted an offer of help from him?"

His eyes narrowed threateningly. "Watch yourself, Mrs. Rollins, or I may have someone fetch your red-headed friend."

I shut my mouth tight. I knew that if they came for Ron, he would welcome it as an opportunity to maybe try and save me, in the process getting himself killed. I was _not _going to let that happen.

Malfoy smirked again. I was _so _tired of that smirk!

"Good choice," he said as he sat on his thrown. "If you must know, Mrs. Rollins, I found an object that convinced me I was _meant _to lead this organization."

"What was it?" I asked tentatively. I must admit, I was mildly curious.

"I'll tell you after you give us the next Hallow," he said, his tone now serious. "The wand perhaps?"

"It's where it was before your Lord stole it," I replied, feeling guilty for just giving these powerful objects to the dark side. I knew, however, that Harry and Ron would still be able to defeat them if they had possession of these objects, but if they were dead there wasn't much they would be able to do.

"In the old man's grave, then?" he asked, his eyebrows slightly raised. "Zabini, Goyle, go make sure she's telling the truth."

"Why not just let me lead them to it?" I asked as they ran out of the cave.

"Because, Mrs. Rollins," he replied, leaning forward in his chair. "I _know _you. Once out of this room, you would do everything you could to escape. Solution? Keep you in this room."

I sighed, knowing he was absolutely right. "You're logic has improved as well, Ferret."

His eyes blazed and he stood up. "_One more word_!" he threatened. He didn't have to finish his thought.

We waited for twenty minutes until Zabini and Goyle returned with the wand. Malfoy took it from them greedily, looking it up and down approvingly.

"Now, where's the stone?" he asked, handing the wand back to Zabini.

I raised my eyebrows. "You said you'd tell me about what convinced you you were good enough to lead the Death Eaters."

He sighed dramatically and sat back down. "Very well, Mrs. Rollins. It was on the same day you killed the Dark Lord before me. I had lost a ring and was looking for it in the Great Hall after all the partying was over and done with. I didn't find the petty thing I had lost, but I did find this."

He walked over to me and held out his right hand. I gasped.

On his ring finger was a very ornate engraving of the Dark Mark.

Almost as soon as he had presented it to me, he pulled his hand away, smiling in delight at my surprise. "Very nice, isn't it? I had seen it on my Lord's finger and, since I was a curious child, I tried it on. I felt somehow empowered, and aside from that, it was a perfect fit. I decided that day that _I _would take over the organization of the Death Eaters."

I held my breath, realizing what he was describing. It _couldn't _be true! We had destroyed all of them!

"You said that the moment you put it on, you felt _empowered_?" I whispered.

He shrugged. "Call it whatever you want, Mrs. Rollins. I assume you were right; it did change me, in a way. I wouldn't be a threat to you today were it not for this ring!" he laughed, finding himself humorous.

_No, you wouldn't_, I thought to myself, my pulse quickening. There was _nothing _humorous about what he had said. Had he never found that ring, my daughter would still be alive.

"I think that answers your question," he said, examining his ring as if he were bored. "Now why don't you answer mine?"

"It's in the Forbidden Forest," I said curtly.

His eyes narrowed. "I'm afraid we need a more _exact _location, Mrs. Rollins."

"I honestly can't explain it better than that," I said, my lips tight. "I guess you'll just have to take me along."

We glared at each other for a moment, then his face lightened and he cackled.

"Very well," he replied, standing. "We'll _all _go."

"That will hardly be inconspicuous," I said casually.

He raised his eyebrows. "Who needs to be inconspicuous? There are sixty of us. How many people are we going to come up against?"

Again, there was cackling heard from around the entire room. My arms were yanked behind me and my hands half-hazardly tied together. Zabini turned me around and smiled crookedly.

"Sure you're not in the mood for any snogging? You obviously don't care about Mr. Rollins."

I spit on him, but he did nothing but laugh and walk away.

I looked sadly at the mass of faces passing me on their way out of the cave. These people were some of the most disgusting people I had ever come in contact with, and yet I pitied them. They would never feel love, or have the joy of knowing someone returned your love. All they would ever know was _lust_; lust, killing, and filth.

As if confirming my thoughts, I felt Malfoy's lips touch my neck. My elbow instantly popped backward, hitting him directly in his stomach. He laughed, sending chills to my bones. I knew he didn't _actually _want to kiss me; he just wanted my reaction. He wanted to see me _tortured_.

"Let's get going, shall we?" he said, taking me by the arm. My eyes dropped to stare at his ring once more. If I could destroy that ring, I could end this reign of terror the Death Eaters were ensuing. Still, I could hardly believe that it was possible that there was another one, but there seemed to be no other explanation.

We missed a horcrux.

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A/N: My friend read this before I posted it and immediately said, "That's depressing!". I guess it kind of is. But Malfoy just _isn't _evil, not naturally! Anyway, tell me what you thought of this chapter! Remember to check out 'Kissed by Death' as well!


	17. Chapter 17

**DISCLAIMER: **HE'S MINE! So there.

A/N: Well, this is it, boys and girls! The last chapter in my Novella "I Take All the Blame". It's hard to believe, isn't it? I have to admit, I am extremely proud of myself—I've never actually finished a fanfic, excluding one shots of course. Thanks to everyone who helped me in this process, especially Cedrixfan—without you, I wouldn't have started writing fanfiction again, and there was no way I would have ever finished one! You drove me to better myself and my writing, and have been the best friend I could have ever prayed for during the past year. Also, thanks to the reviewers! But who am I kidding, you're not reading this to be thanked—you want to know the end!

******(There will be an epilogue to this chapter, so don't stop reading!!!!!!)**********

Without further ado, the final chapter...

* * *

**C****HAPTER SEVENTEEN**

The travelling went by slowly. I was on the very first broom, along with Malfoy himself. Without the adrenaline that I had had earlier, when I was bent on saving Harry and Ron, my fear of heights returned. I contemplated purposely vomiting on Malfoy behind me, but decided that it would be best if I _didn't _convince him to push me off.

After thirty minutes of flying, I instructed the Death Eaters to land in a small clearing beneath us. Instinctively, I looked around, searching for a possible way to escape. Malfoy noticed the darting of my eyes and laughed menacingly.

"Don't even think about it, Mrs. Rollins," he said, smirking. "Even a witch as gifted as yourself can't escape sixty Death Eaters—_especially _when she's unarmed and doesn't have any back-up."

The Death Eaters let out simultaneous laughter, but I was hardly conscious of it. My heart began to beat slightly faster and I tried to hide my excitement.

_All sixty Death Eaters were here._

Which meant that Harry and Ron weren't being guarded.

My mind was racing. If I could somehow escape, there would be nothing stopping me from freeing my two best friends. Even if I didn't escape, Harry and Ron would probably be able to themselves. Their lives wouldn't be in danger, no matter what happened to me in the end.

My thoughts returned to the present with a sudden pain to my wrists. Malfoy had incinerated the rope with his wand, freeing my hands. I turned slowly to face him, and he eyed me expectantly.

"Well?" he asked, his voice becoming slightly threatening. "Where is it?"

"In a tree," I responded curtly.

Immediately, every single Death Eater was searching the tiny clearing as if the fountain of youth were somehow concealed within the trees. Some began climbing, others looked near the ground. There weren't many hollow trees in this particular clearing, but all of them were searched thoroughly.

I felt anxiety as I waited for them to realize I had led them to the wrong spot. I could tell Malfoy was getting increasingly impatient, and he was just about ready to kill me and search the whole forest himself.

That was exactly what I wanted him to do.

I was _not _going to hand him all three hallows. Without the third, he wouldn't have the same amount of power as he would otherwise. It didn't matter that he didn't understand how to use them or their significance to the magical world; I couldn't hand him that kind of power. Too long I had avoided my responsibilities to the magical world, all because of my selfish desires—I should have been focusing on how I could help rid the world of this evil instead of hiding behind charmed walls. I knew that I truly had loved Nick, but he was right—he _shouldn't _have asked me to give up this part of my life, and I shouldn't have given in.

Today I was repenting of my sin. I was going to protect the magical world—_my _world—to the end of my life.

Eventually, the Death Eaters gave up their search and returned to the small clearing, each and every one of them glaring straight at me. I stared straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge their presence.

Malfoy turned on me, his eyes furious. "_Where is it?_"

I tried to keep myself calm as I waited for him to get it all over with. "Parts of the forest look very similar. I must have accidentally brought you to the wrong spot."

I saw the veins in his neck pulsating. "_GIVE IT TO ME!_"

I silently shook my head.

He screamed in frustration, causing many of the Death Eaters to back away in fear. I involuntarily took a step backward as he pointed his wand at my chest.

I heard screaming before he even uttered a spell, and spun around to see acromantulas attacking the Death Eaters. Immediately, chaos ensued. Turning back around, I saw Malfoy with his eyes wide open, staring up at the creatures above him.

This was my chance.

I dashed forward, hardly thinking about what I was doing. There was a broom lying unclaimed at the base of a nearby tree. I snatched it up and mounted it, kicking off from the ground almost instantaneously. Remembering that it was Zabini who had my wand, I swooped down to the ground, where he was whimpering as the giant spiders neared him. No one seemed to notice my flight until I pulled my wand out of his back pocket. His eyes met mine in amazement and he screamed.

"SHE'S ESCAPING!"

Curses flew in my direction, all of them missing in the confusion. I only glimpsed a few of the Death Eaters attempt to mount brooms before they were stopped by the acromantulas, then turned my face away from the scene below me, concentrating on my destination, my goal—to save my best friends.

_To save the one I loved_.

The flight into the forbidden forest had seemed to take hours, but the flight back felt like seconds. Before I knew it, I was back at the entrance of the cave, this time clear of any guards. I half fell off of my broom before I began running through the tunnels, desperate to find my friends. They twisted and turned in so many directions that I felt I would be lost in the maze for the rest of eternity.

Until I heard a familiar voice.

"Harry, we HAVE to get out of here!"

I thought my heart was going to burst out of my body with the joy of hearing his voice. I ran faster in the direction of his voice, pulled by an unidentified force toward his prison.

"We've tried everything—"

"Then we need to try HARDER! Hermione needs us!"

I turned a corner, and suddenly they were there. Harry was the first to see me, his green eyes wide and his mouth slightly ajar. I finally stopped running as Ron turned and our eyes met. They were filled with fire and determination, love and friendship, loyalty and bravery, and so many more emotions that I could barely understand. It seemed impossible that I had ever accused him of having the emotional range of a teaspoon.

I felt tears roll down my cheek as he smiled. I began running once more, eager to free my friends, to embrace Ron.

"_CRUCIO!_"

I shrieked in pain. Everything became a blur as my body fell to the ground and began convulsing. I heard Ron scream my name and struggled to call out to him, but the only sound that could escape my lips was a bloodcurdling scream. It felt as if the pain would never end, as if I would be subject to this torture for the rest of eternity.

The curse was lifted. I lay awkwardly on the ground, trying to catch my breath, until I was pulled up from the floor by a powerful hand.

"_WHERE IS IT?_"

Malfoy's face was inches away from mine. The room had gone completely silent, and all the emotions of joy and happiness felt seconds before were gone and replaced by fear. His eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of their sockets, and his teeth were clenched in anger and frustration.

Refusing to speak to him, I simply spit in his face. He roared in rage, throwing me back to the ground.

"_CRUCIO!"_

The pain seemed to last longer this time than the first. Once the curse was lifted, I glimpsed Ron's face, tears streaming down his cheeks, powerless to save me from this torture.

"_LEAD ME TO THE STONE!" _Malfoy insisted.

Again, I did not respond, and again, I began screaming as my body was pulled in every which direction. Why didn't he just _kill _me? When was he going to realize I would _never _lead him to the stone?

The curse was lifted once again. I whimpered as he knelt down next to me.

"_Last chance_."

Sobbing, I shook my head. He stood, enraged, and pointed his wand at me once more. This time I knew the curse would be fatal.

When they say your life flashes before your eyes, it's entirely true. I experienced it to some degree when Katie attempted to kill me, and I experienced it once more at this moment. I saw the Troll on Halloween, the Yule Ball, the Department of Mysteries, Nick in the Grocery, Harry's defeat of Voldemort, my wedding, my burning house, and countless other images flash through my mind. I saw Harry's face, full of horror for his friend. My eyes met Ron's, filled with just as much pain as I had been feeling. I closed my eyes and felt once again the feeling of Ron's lips against mine, holding onto that feeling with everything I had.

"_AVADA KADAVRA!_"

As the green light approached me rapidly, I felt a violent push to the side. Confused and weak, I struggled to my feet to see Alia lying where I had been, completely still. I blinked, barely comprehending the scene before me. She must have followed Malfoy and myself back to the cave, feeling she had to atone for the evil she had done, had to help save those she imprisoned. She ran in at the moment that I was about to lose my life, glimpsed the sadness and pain on Ron's face, and made a decision.

Alia had died to save my life.

Malfoy, although shocked, threw back his head and laughed at the young girl lying dead on the dirt. Recognizing yet another opportunity, I ran forward and seized Malfoy's hand, violently yanking the horcrux off of his ring finger.

He screamed in pain and tumbled to the ground, sending a stinging curse towards me as he fell. The ring fell out of my hand to the ground, directly in front of Malfoy. Having lost his source of power that he had been dependent on for the last three years, he reached weakly in an effort to retrieve it. Much to his dismay, it burst into flames right before his eyes. He sat up quickly and stared at me, my wand pointed at the ashes that had been the last horcrux.

"You were never meant for this, Malfoy," I said softly. "You're too much of a coward."

His eyes narrowed and he screamed in fury. Scrambling to his feet, he pointed his wand at me.

"You'll _pay_!" he shrieked, sending curse after curse in my direction. I was blocking them sufficiently, but his power was increasing with each spell. He eventually backed me up against the wall, his eyes blazing.

"_EXPELLIARMUS!_" I chanted.

He flew across the tunnel and hit the wall opposite me. His wand hit the ground before he did, and snapped in two. He stared at me blankly, his own nature slowly returning to his body. He looked around at the dungeon, and his face contorted in disgust. I could almost see him remembering everything he had done over the past three years, executing his father, torturing innocent muggles and wizards, striking fear into the hearts of everyone around him.

The memory of killing a defenseless husband and child.

He forced himself to meet my eyes. I saw genuine pain across his face. He seemed to have grown older in just a moment. He knew what he had done to me and my family, and he couldn't bear to face me because of it.

"Granger," he whispered, "Did…did I really…"

"No," I replied, almost forcing myself to say the words, though I knew they were true. "Voldemort did."

He rubbed his temples as I knelt by Alia's body. Her face for once seemed peaceful; she had come to terms with herself in the moments before her death, had repented of any evil she had done towards anyone else.

I sighed and turned to see Malfoy standing.

"I can't believe—" he stammered.

"You might want to get out of here," I suggested, nodding towards the cell at the end of the tunnel. "The two of them don't tend to forgive.

Malfoy followed my advice as Harry yelled in protest.

"You letting him _go?!_" Harry bellowed. "After all he's done?"

"He didn't _really _do it," I said in my defense, still debating whether or not I _should _have let him go.

"What are you _talking _about, Hermione! He _destroyed _everything important to you—"

"NO, he _didn't_!" I responded, frustrated. "Voldemort did!"

"Hermione, Voldemort's dead—"

"Now, he is!" I responded, gesturing to the ashes on the floor. "It was another horcrux, Harry! _None of that was Draco Malfoy_."

The hall was completely silent. Again, I met Ron's eyes, and realized that he hadn't said anything since I told Malfoy to run.

Seemingly reading my mind, Ron forced himself to smirk. "I knew that if you weren't going to kill him yourself, there was probably a good reason."

I heard myself laugh despite the tragedy and death around me. His eyes sparkled with laughter and excitement.

"So are you going to let us out of here, or what?"

I unlocked the cell with my wand and immediately began running towards Ron, and he to me. We met halfway and shared the most passionate kiss I had ever experienced and probably ever will experience in my lifetime. The world seemed to stop turning; we forgot everything that was happening around us and sent all of our energy into letting the other know how much we loved them. I sighed as we parted, and he wrapped me up in a tight embrace. He was shaking with relief.

"I can't believe Alia saved you," Ron whispered as Harry knelt by her body.

I smiled. "She did it for you."

I felt his arms relax a little. After another moment, he sighed and released me.

"This isn't right, Hermione," he said softly. "I'm sorry if Alia or I made you think I—"

I felt my heart skip a beat. "Do you not love me, Ron?"

He sighed. "Hermione, I've _always _loved you. I just don't want to hurt you."

"How could you ever hurt me?"

He shook his head and looked into the distance. "I wasn't _trying _to make you feel this way, Hermione, I swear! I just wanted to be a good friend!"

"And you have been."

"You're husband died just three weeks ago," he whispered, backing away slightly. "I can't take you away from him this way."

"You're not," I replied, pulling him closer to me. I felt him shiver as I leaned forward. I kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear before again meeting his lips.

"_Trust me_."

* * *

A/N: Are you on your feet? Are you politely applauding in your seats? Are you leaving the theatre, disgusted by what you just saw? Whichever it is, I can't tell you how happy I am you were here for the performance! Have a nice night, and please come back to see our other shows anytime, such as the new story, 'Kissed by Death', a Harry/Ginny fanfic about loving someone who you are almost permanently separated from. Thanks for coming along this journey with me; I hope you found it worth your time, and I hope you stay for the short epilogue!


	18. Epilogue

A/N: Thanks to eveyone that read this story! Unfortunately, this really is the end. I have nothing else planned to write branching off of this story, but it truly has been a fantastic ride to get here and actually finish this! Thanks for being such great reviewers!

**EPILOGUE**

Just over a year later, I sat in the hospital, holding a darling baby boy with eyes as green as Harry's. Ginny was lying in the bed, smiling.

"Albus Severus Potter," I cooed, rocking him back and forth. "Hi! I'm your Aunt Hermione!"

His wide eyes scanned the room until he found his mother. She beamed at him.

"Is that your mum?" I asked, now bouncing him up and down. "She's a beautiful lady, isn't she?"

I carefully handed him over to his mother as his father came into the room, holding another little boy on his hip.

"Guess who came to see his baby brother!" Harry said smiling uncontrollably. He sat on the edge of the bed, placing James on his knee.

"Hello, James," Ginny said, her eyes bright with happiness.

"Mommy!" he responded, reaching forward. His eyes saw the baby in his mother's arms and he grinned. "Al!"

Harry laughed at the surprise written on both mine and Ginny's face. "He couldn't say 'Albus'."

Ginny was elated. I watched in silence as Harry and Ginny played with their two adorable sons. After a few minutes, I quietly stood and left the room.

Waiting outside the door was my own husband, who beamed when he saw me. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me tenderly. I felt my heart flutter like it had so many times in the past year, and knew that I would always be perfectly content in his arms.

"I thought you were supposed to be at Rachel's birthday party," I accused.

"I was," he responded defensively. "I just couldn't stay away from my beautiful wife any longer."

"You did give her our present, Ron, didn't you?"

"Of course!"

"And what did she think?"

"She loved it!"

"Did Rachel name her?"

Ron smirked. "She's just as stumped as we are."

I ignored his comment. "Well, she is a snowy owl. The only name I can ever think of is Hedwig…"

Ron snorted. "Why are you avoiding the topic?"

"What topic?"

"Hermione, we have to come up with a name."

"Not until she's born."

"For all we know, that could be next week!"

"I doubt it, Ron."

"Why don't you like Rebecca?"

"It's too common."

"What about Rhonda, then?"

"That's an old woman's name, Ronald, please!"

"Rhiannon? It means 'Goddess'."

"Please, Ron!"

"Renee."

"Why are you so obsessed with 'R's?"

"Rachel!"

I laughed. "As if we need to give that child another reason to adore us."

Ron frowned. "You're right. She's at our house every other week! But Rachel's not a child anymore; she's eighteen, a legal muggle adult!"

I rolled my eyes. "When _you _were a legal _wizarding_ adult, you through a temper tantrum over a chocolate frog card."

"But I collect those!"

"My point is, she's not quite an adult yet."

"Lupin and Tonks seem to think she is."

I rolled my eyes. "The two of them were _supposed _to take care of her like she was their own daughter. Instead, they let her meet some stranger on vacation and get engaged!"

"I thought the story was romantic."

"They met at a farmer's market!"

"Not much worse than meeting in a grocery."

I blushed slightly and brushed my hair out of my face.

Ron sighed. "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings."

I shook my head. "Don't worry about it, Ron. You're right."

We were silent for another little while, his right thumb caressing my left hand, frequently crossing over my two diamond rings. I heard him sigh slightly.

"Is it wrong for me to be this happy?" he asked, leaning towards me.

I raised my eyebrows. "Why should it be?"

"Because, had Nick not have died, I wouldn't have you, or our little Ruby."

"Keep trying."

Ron's eyes sparkled before his manner became somber. "I'm serious though, Hermione. The only reason I have you is because the Death Eaters killed your family."

I leaned forward and kissed his lips. "How many times do I have to tell you that I love you?"

"How many times did you tell Nick that you loved him?"

I smirked. "Not as many."

Ron rolled his eyes. I sighed and took both of his hands in mine.

"We were _meant _to be together, Ron."

He smirked once again. "And if I die? Will you say the same thing to the next guy?"

"There wouldn't be a 'next guy'," I said, slightly annoyed. "You're all I could ever want or need."

He rubbed his forehead against mine. "Are you so sure?"

"Yes," I replied firmly before kissing him once more. I then leaned into his chest and smiled in contentment.

"Besides, Ron, you don't have to worry about being killed by Death Eaters."

He snorted. "We may have defeated the Death Eaters, Herm, but there are other sources of evil out there."

"If you're talking about Malfoy—"

"I'm not," he quickly replied. "Although I do still wonder why exactly you let him go. If anything happened to you or our little Rose, I wouldn't stop until the killer was dead."

I sat up slightly. "I liked that one."

"Really?" he said in surprise.

"Yes," I replied, pondering the name in my mind. "Rose Weasley…"

"Rosie," Ron mused.

I smiled. "Rosie sounds wonderful."

His arms tightened around me and I closed my eyes, remembering the events that finally brought us together. I remembered the horror of family and friends dying, the pain of watching a sixteen-year-old girl struggle, the confusion over my emotions. I remembered searching for the Hallows, the tasks that separated me from my goal. The Mirror of Erised, the vision I had seen.

I sighed in content. Soon, I would see that vision again, but this time it wouldn't be in a mirror.

_It would be real._

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A/N: Again, thanks for reading! ;p I love you all!


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